This is how we now stand:

"We have traced the young lady to the theatrical agent's in Bow Street.
We know that at an early hour on the morning of the twenty-third the
agent was called downstairs, while he was dressing, to speak to a
young lady in a cab at the door. We know that, on her production of Mr.
Huxtable's card, he wrote on it Mr. Huxtable's address in the country,
and heard her order the cabman to drive to the Great Northern terminus.
We believe she left by the nine o'clock train. We followed her by the
twelve o'clock train. We have ascertained that she called at half-past
two at Mr. Huxtable's lodgings; that she found he was away, and not
expected back till eight in the evening; that she left word she would
call again at eight; and that she never returned. Mr. Huxtable's
statement is--he and the young lady have never set eyes on each other.
The first consideration which follows, is this: Are we to believe Mr.
Huxtable? I have carefully inquired into his character; I know as much,
or more, about him than he knows about himself; and my opinion is, that
we _are_ to believe him. To the best of my knowledge, he is a perfectly
honest man.

"Here, then, is the hitch in the case. The young lady sets out with a
certain object before her. Instead of going on to the accomplishment
of that object, she stops short of it. Why has she stopped? and where?
Those are, unfortunately, just the questions which we can't answer yet.

"My own opinion of the matter is, briefly, as follows: I don't think she
has met with any serious accident. Serious accidents, in nine cases out
of ten, discover themselves. My own notion is, that she has fallen into
the hands of some person or persons interested in hiding her away,
and sharp enough to know how to set about it. Whether she is in their
charge, with or without her own consent, is more than I can undertake to
say at present. I don't wish to raise false hopes or false fears; I wish
to stop short at the opinion I have given already.

"In regard to the future, I may tell you that I have left one of my men
in daily communication with the authorities. I have also taken care to
have the handbills offering a reward for the discovery of her widely
circulated. Lastly, I have completed the necessary arrangements for
seeing the play-bills of all country theaters, and for having the
dramatic companies well looked after. Some years since, this would have
cost a serious expenditure of time and money