in, greatly
agitated, and asked what had happened to Norah; for that she had put on
her things in passionate haste, and had left the house.

"This looks suspicious," said Mr. Chadwick. "It is not the way in which
an honest person would have acted."

Mr. Openshaw kept silence. He was sorely perplexed. But Mrs. Openshaw
turned round on Mr. Chadwick with a sudden fierceness no one ever saw in
her before.

"You don't know Norah, uncle! She is gone because she is deeply hurt at
being suspected. O, I wish I had seen her--that I had spoken to her
myself. She would have told me anything." Alice wrung her hands.

"I must confess," continued Mr. Chadwick to his nephew, in a lower voice,
"I can't make you out. You used to be a word and a blow, and oftenest
the blow first; and now, when there is every cause for suspicion, you
just do nought. Your missus is a very good woman, I grant; but she may
have been put upon as well as other folk, I suppose. If you don't send
for the police, I shall."

"Very well," replied Mr. Openshaw, surlily. "I can't clear Norah. She
won't clear herself, as I believe she might if she would. Only I wash my
hands of it; for I am sure the woman herself is honest, and she's lived a
long time with my wife, and I don't like her to come to shame."

"But she will then be forced to clear herself. That, at any rate, will
be a good thing."

"Very well, very well! I am heart-sick of the whole business. Come,
Alice, come up to the babies they'll be in a sore way. I tell you,
uncle!" he said, turning round once more to Mr. Chadwick, suddenly and
sharply, after his eye had fallen on Alice's wan, tearful, anxious face;
"I'll have none sending for the police after all. I'll buy my aunt twice
as handsome a brooch this very day; but I'll not have Norah suspected,
and my missus plagued. There's for you."

He and his wife left the room. Mr. Chadwick quietly waited till he was
out of hearing, and then aid to his wife; "For all Tom's heroics, I'm
just quietly going for a detective, wench. Thou need'st know nought
about it."

He went to the police-station, and made a statement of the case. He was
gratified by the impression which the evidence against Norah seemed to
make. The men all agreed in his opinion, and steps were to be
immediately taken to find out where she was. Most probably, as they
suggested, she had gone at once to the man, who, to all appearance, was
her lover. When Mr. Chadwick