s fond of
taking his walks in lonely places--there are plenty outside the town. He
may be lying somewhere even now--helpless."

"Capital suggestion!--much obliged to you," exclaimed the Earl. "Gad! I
wonder we never thought of that before! Much the most likely thing. I
can't believe that Horbury----"

Before he could say more, the door of the dining-room was thrown open, a
clear, strong voice was heard speaking to some one without, and in
walked a handsome young woman, who pulled herself up on the threshold to
stare out of a pair of frank grey eyes at the four startled men.

CHAPTER IV

THE MODERN YOUNG WOMAN

Mrs. Carswell, who had left the gentlemen to themselves after opening
the plate-chest, followed the new-comer into the room and looked
appealingly at the senior partner.

"This is Miss Fosdyke, sir," she said, as if accounting for the
unceremonious entrance. "Mr. Horbury's----"

But Miss Fosdyke, having looked round her, entered the arena of
discussion as abruptly as she had entered the room.

"You're Mr. Chestermarke!" she said, turning to Gabriel. "I remember
you. What's all this, Mr. Chestermarke? I come down from London to meet
my uncle, and to go on with him to Scotland for a holiday, and I learn
that he's disappeared! What is it? What has happened? Why are you all
looking so mysterious? Is something wrong? Where is my uncle?"

Gabriel, who had assumed his stereotyped expression of calm attention
under this tornado of questions, motioned Joseph to place a chair for
the young lady. But Miss Fosdyke shook her head and returned to the
attack.

"Please don't keep anything back!" she said. "I am not of the
fainting-to-order type of young woman. Just say what is the matter, if
you please. Mrs. Carswell knows no more----"

"Than we do," interrupted Joseph, with one of his peculiar smiles.
"Hadn't you better sit down?"

"Not until I know what has happened," retorted the visitor. "Because if
anything has happened there will be something for me to do, and it's
foolish to sit down when one's got to get up again immediately. Mr.
Chestermarke, are you going to answer my questions?"

Gabriel bowed stiffly.

"I have the honour of addressing----" he began.

"You have the honour--if you like to put it so--of addressing Miss Betty
Fosdyke, who is Mr. John Horbury's niece," replied the young lady
impatiently. "Mrs. Carswell has told you that already. Besides--you saw
me, more than once, when I was a