'He refused to stay. I gave him money.'

'You should have forced him to stay How can I have a brother of my own
living a life like that? You did wrong to give him money. He'll only use
it to make a beast of himself. I must find him again; I can't let him go
to ruin.'

'Arry had come back to Holloway the previous night to inform Adela that
her husband might not return till morning. As she said, it had been
impossible to detain him. He was too far gone in unconventionality
to spend a night under a decent roof. Home-sickness for the gutter
possessed him.

In the meantime Alice had become quieter. It was half-past six; Mutimer
had to be at the meeting-place in Clerkenwell by eight. Adela sat by
Alice whilst the servant hurriedly prepared a meal; then the girl took
her place, and she went down to her husband. They were in the middle of
their meal when they heard the front-door slam. Mutimer started up.

'Who's that? Who's gone out?'

Adela ran to the foot of the stairs and called the servant's name
softly. It was a minute before the girl appeared.

'Who has just gone out, Mary?'

'Gone out? No one, mum!'

'Is Mrs. Rodman lying still?'

The girl went to see. She had left Alice for a few moments previously.
She appeared again at the head of the stairs with a face of alarm.

'Mrs. Rodman isn't there, mum!'

Mutimer flew up the staircase. Alice was nowhere to be found. It could
not be doubted that she had fled in a delirious state. Richard rushed
into the street, but it was very dark, and rain was falling. There was
no trace of the fugitive. He came back to the door, where Adela stood;
he put out his hand and held her arm as if she needed support.

'Give me my hat! She'll die in the street, in the rain! I'll go one way;
the girl must go the other. My hat!'

'I will go one way myself,' said Adela hurriedly. 'You must take an
umbrella: it pours. Mary! my waterproof!'

They ran in opposite directions. It was a quiet by-street, with no shops
to cast light upon the pavement. Adela encountered a constable before
she had gone very far, and begged for his assistance. He promised to
be on the look-out, but advised her to go on a short distance to the
police-station and leave a description of the missing woman. She did
so; then, finding the search hopeless in this quarter, turned
homewards. Mutimer was still absent, but he appeared in five minutes; as
unsuccessful as herself. She told him of her visit to the station.