e's side, but Fortune
bent down and whispered to her to obey.

"I am on the trail," she said, "and I don't want to be interrupted. I
don't mind telling you, Iris, that the tea is all an excuse. You get
your uncle to take you to the hotel, and keep him there until I join
him. Now, go off this minute, like a good girl."

Iris looked into Fortune's small, but honest, eyes, and felt once
again that her feel was leading her in the right direction.

"Uncle William, I should like some tea very much," she said.

"Well, then, my dear, if you want tea you shall have it," replied
Uncle William.

He hailed a fly, and took the children immediately to the best hotel
in the town.

When Fortune found herself alone she turned round, and gazed to right
and left of her. The great tent was almost empty, for the spectators
had all departed; a few, however, were standing in little groups
talking to one another. Fortune edged near one of these. It consisted
of a good-looking young man and two pretty girls. They were standing
opposite the poster which gave such a lifelike account of little
Diana and Orion.

"I see you are reading that poster," said Fortune, "and maybe you're
interested?"

"Why, of course we are," said one of the girls, turning and looking at
Fortune.

"Now, I wonder," continued Fortune Squeers, "if it lies anywhere in
your power to give me a bit of help? Fact is, I'm interested in the
children described in that poster, and as I was sitting inside the
circus, I heard a neighbor say that the children belonging to your
show were not present. Being an American, I never lose any clews, and
there may be just the ghost of a chance that the children who were not
at the performance to-day are the very identical same children that
are written about in that there poster. Maybe you has heard of those
children--that is, if you are Madersley folk?"

"Yes, yes; we are Madersley folk," said the young man, now turning and
speaking eagerly to Fortune.

"Well, sir, do you know anything about the children who were not in
the circus to-day?"

"I have heard of them, of course," said the man. "Don't you remember,
Amelia," he added, "when I came home last Saturday night how I told
you we must go and see Holt's circus, for he had got a little girl who
was riding wonderfully? I could not manage it on Saturday, and to-day,
it seems, she's off."

"And he had a boy as well, hadn't he?" said Fortune.

"Yes, there was talk of a boy; but