t was the agreement we
had both made, that if either of us were suddenly found out, or couldn't
for any reason continue any longer to be the other, we would come and say
so at once. She knows the way quite well; she often came up in the
afternoon to see me."

"Yes, but it is one thing to find your way there on a summer's
afternoon," said Mrs. Danvers nervously, "but quite another on a night
like this. Why, the fog is now so thick that you can't see a yard in
front of you down here even; and if it is like that here, it will be ten
times worse up on the downs, and instead of finding her way to Windy Gap,
she would be far more likely to walk in the opposite direction."

"Oh, don't say that, mother, for the opposite direction would lead her
straight over the cliffs," said Geoffrey, and was immediately sorry for
his thoughtless remark when he saw how alarmed Mrs. Danvers became; "but
I agree with you that she is not very likely to arrive at Windy Gap in
such a fog as this, so I suggest that we turn ourselves into a search
party without loss of time, and go and look for her."

"One minute, if you please," said Mr. Anstruther; "when you say 'we,' to
whom do you refer?"

"Why, to my brothers and myself," Geoffrey answered; "you Noel, and Jack,
and Edward. Of course, you will all turn out and search?"

"Rather!" they answered in chorus, and from their eager voices it was
easy to see that they looked upon the expedition as a novel and
delightful adventure.

"I intend also to accompany you," said Mr. Anstruther.

"Just as you like, of course, sir," said Geoffrey, in rather a doubtful
tone, "but if you will excuse my saying so, we would get on quicker
without you. You see we know every yard of the way, and my idea was for
us all to scatter when we get to the top of the downs, and search
separately. We shall cover more ground in less time that way; for I feel
perfectly certain that though Miss Anstruther may have started from here
with every intention of getting to Windy Gap, she will never find it. The
mist will be almost as thick as a London fog, and she will get hopelessly
lost. But just on the chance that she may have got as far, I will go up
to Windy Gap on my motor bicycle and find out, for it is no good our
spending hours searching about on the downs if she is safe and sound
there all the time."

He left the room as he spoke, and the three younger boys slipped out
quickly after him, each fearing to be the last, lest