She has not come downstairs."

"You have looked in the drawing-room--Mr Asplin's study?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Did you go upstairs again?"

"No, ma'am. I had looked there before."

"Esther dear, you go!" cried Mrs Asplin quickly. "Bring her down at
once! What in the world is the child doing? It's most extraordinary!"

"She's not given to playing games of hide-and-seek just at dinner-time,
is she?" asked Arthur, laughing. "I am never surprised at anything
Peggy does. She has some little prank on hand, depend upon it, and will
turn up in good time. It's her own fault if she misses her dinner."

"But it's so extraordinary! To-night of all nights, when you have just
arrived! I wish the child would come!" replied Mrs Asplin, craning her
neck forward to listen to the cries of "Peggy! Peggy!" which came from
the upper storey.

The door stood open, and everyone ceased talking to follow Esther's
footsteps to and fro, to count the opening and shutting of doors--one,
two, three, four, five--to look apprehensively at each other as the
messenger returned--alone!

"Mother, she is not there! I've looked everywhere--in every corner--and
she has not changed her dress, nor washed, nor anything. The room looks
exactly as if she had never gone in; but she did, for we all followed
her upstairs. I looked over the wardrobe, and all her dresses are
there, and the can of hot water is untouched, and the gas left full up."

"Oh dear, what can have happened?" Mrs Asplin pushed back her chair
and stood up, looking anxious and puzzled. "I cannot rest until she is
found! I must look myself! Go on with dinner, all of you; I won't be
long. Where can the child be hiding herself?"

"Don't worry, mater!" said Arthur kindly. "It's very tiresome of Peggy
to disappear at such an inopportune moment, but no harm can have
happened to her, you know. It's impossible! As I said before, she has
probably some wild prank in her head of which this is a part. I'll give
her a lecture when I catch her for spoiling dinner like this, and such
an uncommonly good dinner too!" And Arthur smiled in cheery fashion,
and tried his best to keep up the failing spirits of the company by
chatting away while his hostess was out of the room, as if nothing had
happened which was the least unusual or alarming.

When Mrs Asplin returned, however, after a lengthened absence, there
was a simultaneous rising from the table to listen to her report.

"She is no