hope
to get the tyre replaced was Faircroft, but even that was doubtful,
because Faircroft was a small town without a garage, and the one
tradesman who did motor-car repairs was, just as likely as not, without
the right kind of tyres, or equally likely to have none at all. As he
had left Durrington barely three miles behind Colwyn decided to return
there, to have the car repaired, and defer his departure till the
following day.

He reached Durrington with a deflated tyre, took the car to the garage,
and then went back to the hotel. It wanted nearly an hour to lunch-time,
and on his way in he paused at the office window to inform the clerk
that he had returned, and would stay till the following day. The
proprietor was in the office, checking some figures. The latter looked
up as Colwyn informed the lady clerk of his altered plans, and informed
him that a young lady had been at the hotel inquiring for him shortly
after his departure.

"What was her name?" asked the detective, in some surprise.

"She didn't give her name. She seemed very disappointed when she learnt
that you had departed for London, and went away at once."

"What was she like?"

The proprietor and the lady clerk described her at the same time. In the
former's eyes the visitor had appeared pretty and young with golden hair
and a very clear complexion. The lady clerk, without the least departure
from the standard of courtesy imposed upon her by her position, managed
to indicate that the impression made upon her feminine mind was that of
a white-faced girl with red hair. From both descriptions Colwyn had no
difficulty in identifying the visitor as Peggy.

Why had she come to Durrington to see him? Obviously the visit was
connected with the murder at the inn. Colwyn recalled his last
conversation with her on the marshes the day after he had seen her come
out of the dead man's room.

He hurried out in the hope of finding her. She had probably come by
train from Leyland, and would go back the same way. Colwyn looked at his
watch. It was a quarter past twelve, and there was no train back to
Leyland till half-past one--so much Colwyn remembered from his study of
the local time-table. Therefore, unless she had walked back to Flegne
she should not be difficult to find--probably she was somewhere on the
cliffs, or near the sea. Somehow, Peggy seemed to belong to the sea and
Nature. It was difficult to picture her in a conventional setting.

It was by the se