e is some little distance from the club. There
may be another doctor's nearer. What is to be done?"

"I am sure I do not know, my lady," the captain said, in
perplexity.

"Where can my daughter and her maid be?" Lady Greendale went on.
"They went ashore to go to Dr. Maddison's."

"Perhaps, my lady, they might have heard as they went ashore that
the Major was somewhere else, or some messenger might have been
waiting at the landing stage to take them there direct."

"That must be it, I suppose; but it is all very strange. I think
the best thing, captain, will be for you to go to the club. They
are sure to know there about the accident, and where he is. You
see, the landing stage is close to the club, and he might have been
just going in when he was knocked down--by a carriage, I suppose."

"Like enough he is at the club still, my lady. At any rate, I will
go there in the first place and find out. There is sure to be a
crowd about the gates listening to the music--they have got a band
over from Newport--so that if they do not know anything at the
club, there are sure to be some people outside who saw the
accident, and will know where the Major was taken. Anyhow, I won't
come back without news."

Even to Lady Greendale, anxious and alarmed as she was, it did not
seem long before the steward came down with the news that the boat
was just alongside. This time she was too agitated to go up. She
heard someone come running down the companion, and a moment later,
to her astonishment, Frank Mallett himself came in. He looked pale
and excited.

"What is all this, Lady Greendale?" he exclaimed. "The skipper
tells me that a letter came here saying that I had been hurt and
taken to Dr. Maddison's, and that Bertha and her maid went off at
once, and have not returned, though it is more than two hours since
they went. I have not been hurt. I wrote no letter to Bertha, but
was at dinner at the club when the skipper came for me. What is it
all about?"

"I don't know, Frank. I cannot even think," Lady Greendale said in
an agitated voice. "What can it all mean and where can Bertha be?"
and she burst into tears.

"I don't know. I can't think," Frank said, slowly.

He stood silent for a minute or two, and then went on.

"I cannot suggest anything. I will go ashore at once. The waterman
at our landing stage must have noticed if two ladies got out there.
He could hardly have helped doing so, for it would be curious,
their coming