elf in communication with every
single one of Mr. Hollis's clients--you know them all, of course. Find
out if any of them gave Mr. Hollis any business that would send him to
Scarnham. Don't leave a stone unturned in that way! And the moment you
have any information, however slight, wire to me, here--on the
instant."

CHAPTER XVI

THE LEAD MINE

Starmidge and Polke presently left--to walk down to the railway station
with the bewildered clerk; when they had gone, Betty turned to Neale,
who was hanging about her sitting-room with no obvious intention of
leaving it.

"While these people are doing what they can in their way, is there
nothing we can do in ours?" she asked. "I hate sitting here doing
nothing at all! You're a free man now, Wallie--can't you suggest
something?"

Neale was thoroughly enjoying his first taste of liberty. He felt as if
he had just been released from a long term of imprisonment. To be
absolutely free to do what he liked with himself, during the whole of a
spring day, was a sensation so novel that he was holding closely to it,
half-fearful that it might all be a dream from which it would be a
terrible thing to awake--to see one of Chestermarke's ledgers under his
nose. And this being a wonderfully fine morning, he had formed certain
sly designs of luring Betty away into the country, and having the whole
day with her. A furtive glance at her, however, showed him that Miss
Fosdyke's thoughts and ideas just then were entirely business-like, but
a happy inspiration suggested to him that business and pleasure might be
combined.

"We ought to go and see if that tinker chap's found out or heard
anything," he said. "You remember he promised to keep his eyes and ears
open. And we might do a little looking round the country for ourselves:
I haven't much faith in those local policemen and gamekeepers. Why not
make a day of it, going round? I know a place--nice old inn, the other
side of Ellersdeane--where we can get some lunch. Much better making
inquiries for ourselves," he concluded insinuatingly, "than sitting
about waiting for news."

"Didn't I say so?" exclaimed Betty. "Come on, then!--I'm ready. Where
first?"

"Let's see the tinker first," said Neale. "He's a sharp man--he may have
something else to tell by now."

He led his companion out of the town by way of Scarnham Bridge, pointing
out Joseph Chestermarke's gloomy house to her as they passed it.

"I'd give a lot," he remarked, a