ely stretch of country, every inch of which
he knew--to Ecclesborough: he would be in Ecclesborough by an early hour
in the morning. Now in Ecclesborough there are three stations--big
stations. He could get away from any one of them--what booking-clerk or
railway official would pay any particular attention to him? The thing
is--ridiculously easy!"

"What of the other man?" asked the Earl. "If there were two
men--together--at an early hour--eh?"

"They need not have caught a train at a very early hour," replied
Joseph. "They need not have been together when they caught any train. I
don't say they went together--I don't say they went to Ecclesborough--I
don't say they caught a train: I only say what, it must be obvious, they
easily could do without attracting attention."

"The fact of Horbury's disappearance is--unchallengeable," remarked
Gabriel quietly. "We--know why he disappeared."

"I should think," said Joseph, still more quietly, "that Lord
Ellersdeane also knows--by now."

"No, I don't!" exclaimed the Earl, a little sharply. "I wish I did!"

Joseph pointed to the casket.

"Why have the police been officially--and officiously--searching the
house, then?" he asked.

"To see if they could get any clue to his disappearance," replied the
Earl.

"And they found--that!" retorted Joseph.

"In the housekeeper's room," said the Earl. "She may have appropriated
the jewels."

"I think your lordship must see that that is very unlikely--without
collusion between Horbury and herself," remarked Gabriel.

"Mrs. Carswell," said Joseph, "has always been more or less of a
mysterious person. We know nothing about her. I don't even know where
Horbury got her from. But--the probability is that they were in
collusion, and that when he went, she stayed behind, to ascertain how
things turned out on his disappearance; and that she fled when it began
to appear that searching inquiries were to be made into which she might
be drawn."

The Earl made no reply. He recognized that the Chestermarke observations
and suggestions were rather more than plausible, and much as he fought
against the idea of the missing manager's dishonesty, he could not deny
that the circumstances as set forth by the bankers were suspicious.

"Your lordship will, of course, follow up this woman?" said Gabriel,
after a brief silence.

"I suppose the police will," replied the Earl. "But--aren't you going to
do anything yourselves, Mr. Chestermarke? You t