Robert
knew what she was doing. They were always talking together and looking
over books, and I heard him say to her, `Bring me all you have finished,
to look over.' I said something to her about printing some photographs
for Christmas cards, and she said she could do nothing until after the
nineteenth."

"The nineteenth!" echoed the vicar sharply. "That is to-day. We gather
from that, then, that Peggy had been busy with work, either by herself
or in conjunction with Robert, which had to be completed by to-day.
Nobody has the least idea of what nature it was? No? Then I shall go
to Robert's room and see if there is anything lying about which can give
me a clue."

"I'll go with you, sir," said Arthur, who was beginning to look a little
anxious and uneasy, as the moments passed by and brought no sign of his
sister; but, alas, the scattered papers on Rob's table gave no clue to
the mystery!

When one is endeavouring to find a reason why a girl should mysteriously
disappear from her home, it does not help very much to find a few slips
of paper on which are written such items as "Tennyson's Poems, page 26,"
"Selections from British Authors, 203", "Macaulay's Essays, 97,"
etcetera.

Arthur and Mr Asplin looked at one another, puzzled and disappointed,
and had no alternative but to return to the dining-room and confess
their failure.

"Would not it be a good thing to go up to the Larches, and hear what
Robert has to say on the subject?" Arthur asked; and when he was told
that Robert was in London he still held to his suggestion.

"For someone else in the house may know about it," he declared. "Rob
may have confided in his mother or sister. At the worst we can get his
address, and telegraph to him for information, if she has not returned
before we get back. She might even have gone to the Larches herself
to--to see Rosalind!"

"Peggy doesn't like Rosalind. She never goes to see her if she can help
it. I'm quite sure she has not gone there," said Mellicent shrewdly.
"It is more likely she has gone to Fraulein's lodgings to tell her about
Arthur. She is fond of Fraulein."

The suggestion was not very brilliant, but it was hailed with eagerness
by the listeners as the most probable explanation yet offered.

"Then I'll tell you what we will do. I'll go off to the Larches," cried
Arthur, "and one of you fellows can see Fraulein, and find out if Peggy
has been there. We must try every place, likely and unli