Fairmead first;
it is more out of the way. If you cannot hear of him there, come back,
get another horse, and try Clearwater. If you fail here too, we must
give him up, and look out for him in the temple to-morrow morning."

"Are you going to say anything to the Professors?"

"Not if you can bring Higgs here before night-fall. If you cannot do
this I must talk it over with my husband; I shall have some hours in
which to make up my mind. Now go--the sooner the better."

It was nearly eleven, and in a few minutes George was on his way. By
noon he was at Fairmead, where he tried all the inns in vain for news of
a person answering the description of my father--for not knowing what
name my father might choose to give, he could trust only to description.
He concluded that since my father could not be heard of in Fairmead by
one o'clock (as it nearly was by the time he had been round all the inns)
he must have gone somewhere else; he therefore rode back to Sunch'ston,
made a hasty lunch, got a fresh horse, and rode to Clearwater, where he
met with no better success. At all the inns both at Fairmead and
Clearwater he left word that if the person he had described came later in
the day, he was to be told that the Mayoress particularly begged him to
return at once to Sunch'ston, and come to the Mayor's house.

Now all the time that George was at Fairmead my father was inside the
Musical Bank, which he had entered before going to any inn. Here he had
been sitting for nearly a couple of hours, resting, dreaming, and reading
Bishop Gurgoyle's pamphlet. If he had left the Bank five minutes
earlier, he would probably have been seen by George in the main street of
Fairmead--as he found out on reaching the inn which he selected and
ordering dinner.

He had hardly got inside the house before the waiter told him that young
Mr. Strong, the Ranger from Sunch'ston, had been enquiring for him and
had left a message for him, which was duly delivered.

My father, though in reality somewhat disquieted, showed no uneasiness,
and said how sorry he was to have missed seeing Mr. Strong. "But," he
added, "it does not much matter; I need not go back this afternoon, for I
shall be at Sunch'ston to-morrow morning and will go straight to the
Mayor's."

He had no suspicion that he was discovered, but he was a good deal
puzzled. Presently he inclined to the opinion that George, still
believing him to be Professor Panky, had wanted to invite