ly with Miss Lillian," she said. "Why make such a
mystery, Suzette?"

"She is not there, my lady; I can not find her," was the answer.

"She may have gone out into the garden or the grounds," said Lady
Helena.

"My lady," Suzette whispered, and her frightened face grew deathly
pale, "her bed has not been slept in; nothing is touched in her room;
she has not been in it all night."

A shock of unutterable dread seized Lady Earle; a sharp spasm seemed to
dart through her heart.

"There must be some mistake," she said, gently; "I will go upstairs
with you."

The rooms were without occupant; no disarray of jewels, flowers, or
dresses, no little slippers; no single trace of Beatrice's presence was
there.

The pretty white bed was untouched--no one had slept in it; the blinds
were drawn, and the sunlight struggled to enter the room. Lady Helena
walked mechanically to the window, and drew aside the lace curtains;
then she looked round.

"She has not slept here," she said; "she must have slept with Miss
Lillian. You have frightened me, Suzette; I will go and see myself."

Lady Helena went through the pretty sitting room where the books
Beatrice had been reading lay upon the table, on to Lillian's chamber.

The young girl was awake, looking pale and languid, yet better than she
had looked the night before. Lady Earle controlled all emotion, and
went quietly to her.

"Have you seen Beatrice this morning?" she asked. "I want her."

"No," replied Lillian; "I have not seen her since just before dinner
last evening."

"She did not sleep with you, then?" said Lady Earle.

"No, she did not sleep here," responded the young girl.

Lady Helena kissed Lillian's face, and quitted the room; a deadly,
horrible fear was turning her faint and cold. From the suite of rooms
Lord Earle had prepared and arranged for his daughters a staircase ran
which led into the garden. He had thought at the time how pleasant it
would be for them. As Lady Helena entered, Suzette stood upon the
stairs with a bow of pink ribbon in her hand.

"My lady," she said, "I fastened the outer door of the staircase last
night myself. I locked it, and shot the bolts. It is unfastened now,
and I have found this lying by it. Miss Earle wore it last evening on
her dress."

"Something terrible must have happened," exclaimed Lady Helena.
"Suzette, ask Lord Earle to come to me. Do not say a word to any one."

He stood by her side in a few minutes,