band was to be exonerated; and although his heart was sick
within him at the thought of Eva's wickedness, Herrick was wise enough
to see that to implicate himself would be to make matters worse than
they were already.

* * * * *

But although the two men made all possible inquiries, they could hear
nothing of the missing Toni. No one had seen her, no one heard of her;
and as the hours wore on it seemed as though the mist had indeed
swallowed her up so completely that all trace of her was lost.

After nearly an hour's futile telephoning Owen set off in the waiting
car to scour the countryside; while at his urgent request Herrick stayed
behind at Greenriver, in case Toni should arrive in her husband's
absence and find no one to welcome her. Herrick agreed to stay at once,
though he knew his prolonged absence would annoy and possibly upset his
wife. She deserved no consideration, he told himself sternly. It was
largely through her machinations that this thing had come to pass; and a
few hours' anxiety would be a small enough price to pay for her
treachery.

It was nearly four o'clock in the morning when Owen returned, tired out,
despondent, and with no slightest scrap of news. He came into the
library looking ready to drop with fatigue, and found Herrick sitting
over the fire apparently lost in thought. Olga and Jock, who had long
since fraternized, lay side by side on the hearthrug; and all was quiet
and peaceful. But when Herrick sprang up, hearing Owen's step, it was
easy to see that for him, too, the night had worn away in keenest
suspense.

"Well? Any news?"

"No. None." Owen slipped off his thick coat and sank down, wearily, into
a chair. "No one has seen anything of her. The hotel people didn't hear
her go, and no one has the faintest notion where she went."

He shivered, holding out his hands to the blaze.

"Herrick, where can she be? My God, I'd give ten years of my life now to
know she was safe. But to think of her wandering about in the fog--not
daring--not even wanting--to come home ... thinking always of me as the
selfish brute who neglected her and laughed aside her wishes...."

He paused a moment, then began again.

"It wouldn't be so bad if she'd been in love with that fool who was here
to-night. I could have understood her going off with him then. But it
was me she loved all along--she was thinking of me when she went out
into the cruel night to join him.... I'm v