't know how
long. It's all the war. Upset things terribly, it has. But excuse me,
sir, it'll be too dark for you to see much of the house. Hadn't you
better wait until to-morrow?"

"That's all right. We'll have a look around this evening, anyway. We'd
have been here before only we lost our way. What's the best place to
stay at for the night round here?"

Mrs. Sweeny looked doubtful.

"There's the Yorkshire Arms, but it's not much of a place for gentlemen
like you."

"Oh, it will do very well. Thanks. By the way, you've not had a young
lady here asking for this key to-day?"

The woman shook her head.

"No one's been over the place for a long time."

"Thanks very much."

They retraced their steps to the Moat House. As the front door swung
back on its hinges, protesting loudly, Julius struck a match and
examined the floor carefully. Then he shook his head.

"I'd swear no one's passed this way. Look at the dust. Thick. Not a sign
of a footmark."

They wandered round the deserted house. Everywhere the same tale. Thick
layers of dust apparently undisturbed.

"This gets me," said Julius. "I don't believe Tuppence was ever in this
house."

"She must have been."

Julius shook his head without replying.

"We'll go over it again to-morrow," said Tommy. "Perhaps we'll see more
in the daylight."

On the morrow they took up the search once more, and were reluctantly
forced to the conclusion that the house had not been invaded for some
considerable time. They might have left the village altogether but for
a fortunate discovery of Tommy's. As they were retracing their steps to
the gate, he gave a sudden cry, and stooping, picked something up from
among the leaves, and held it out to Julius. It was a small gold brooch.

"That's Tuppence's!"

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I've often seen her wear it."

Julius drew a deep breath.

"I guess that settles it. She came as far as here, anyway. We'll make
that pub our head-quarters, and raise hell round here until we find her.
Somebody MUST have seen her."

Forthwith the campaign began. Tommy and Julius worked separately and
together, but the result was the same. Nobody answering to Tuppence's
description had been seen in the vicinity. They were baffled--but not
discouraged. Finally they altered their tactics. Tuppence had certainly
not remained long in the neighbourhood of the Moat House. That pointed
to her having been overcome and carried away in a car. They ren