you encourage her to persist in the search for
her lost friend. However, it is your affair, and not mine. Do you wish
me to offer you any facilities for tracing Miss Silvester which I may
happen to possess?"

"If you _can_ help us over any obstacles at starting, Sir Patrick, it
will be a kindness to Blanche, and a kindness to me."

"Very good. I suppose you remember what I said to you, one morning, when
we were talking of Miss Silvester at Windygates?"

"You said you had determined to let her go her own way."

"Quite right! On the evening of the day when I said that I received
information that Miss Silvester had been traced to Glasgow. You won't
require me to explain why I never mentioned this to you or to
Blanche. In mentioning it now, I communicate to you the only positive
information, on the subject of the missing woman, which I possess. There
are two other chances of finding her (of a more speculative kind) which
can only be tested by inducing two men (both equally difficult to deal
with) to confess what they know. One of those two men is--a person named
Bishopriggs, formerly waiter at the Craig Fernie inn."

Arnold started, and changed color. Sir Patrick (silently noticing him)
stated the circumstances relating to Anne's lost letter, and to the
conclusion in his own mind which pointed to Bishopriggs as the person in
possession of it.

"I have to add," he proceeded, "that Blanche, unfortunately, found an
opportunity of speaking to Bishopriggs at Swanhaven. When she and Lady
Lundie joined us at Edinburgh she showed me privately a card which had
been given to her by Bishopriggs. He had described it as the address at
which he might be heard of--and Blanche entreated me, before we started
for London, to put the reference to the test. I told her that she had
committed a serious mistake in attempting to deal with Bishopriggs on
her own responsibility; and I warned her of the result in which I was
firmly persuaded the inquiry would end. She declined to believe that
Bishopriggs had deceived her. I saw that she would take the matter
into her own hands again unless I interfered; and I went to the place.
Exactly as I had anticipated, the person to whom the card referred me
had not heard of Bishopriggs for years, and knew nothing whatever about
his present movements. Blanche had simply put him on his guard, and
shown him the propriety of keeping out of the way. If you should ever
meet with him in the future--say nothing t