eroics, I'm
just quietly going for a detective, wench. Thou need'st know nought
about it.'

He went to the police-station and made a statement of the case. He was
gratified by the impression which the evidence against Norah seemed
to make. The men all agreed in his opinion, and steps were to be
immediately taken to find out where she was. Most probably, as they
suggested, she had gone at once to the man, who, to all appearance,
was her lover. When Mr Chadwick asked how they would find her out,
they smiled, shook their heads, and spoke of mysterious but infallible
ways and means. He returned to his nephew's house with a very
comfortable opinion of his own sagacity. He was met by his wife with a
penitent face.

'Oh, master, I've found my brooch! It was just sticking by its pin in
the flounce of my brown silk, that I wore yesterday. I took it off in
a hurry, and it must have caught in it; and I hung up my gown in
the closet. Just now, when I was going to fold it up, there was the
brooch! I am very vexed, but I never dreamt but what it was lost!'

Her husband, muttering something very like 'Confound thee and thy
brooch too! I wish I'd never given it thee,' snatched up his hat, and
rushed back to the station, hoping to be in time to stop the police
from searching for Norah. But a detective was already gone off on the
errand.

Where was Norah? Half mad with the strain of the fearful secret, she
had hardly slept through the night for thinking what must be done.
Upon this terrible state of mind had come Ailsie's questions, showing
that she had seen the Man, as the unconscious child called her father.
Lastly came the suspicion of her honesty. She was little less than
crazy as she ran upstairs and dashed on her bonnet and shawl; leaving
all else, even her purse, behind her. In that house she would not
stay. That was all she knew or was clear about. She would not even see
the children again, for fear it should weaken her. She dreaded above
everything Mr Frank's return to claim his wife. She could not tell
what remedy there was for a sorrow so tremendous, for her to stay to
witness. The desire of escaping from the coming event was a stronger
motive for her departure, than her soreness about the suspicions
directed against her; although this last had been the final goad
to the course she took. She walked a way almost at headlong speed;
sobbing as she went, as she had not dared to do during the past night
for fear of exciting w