t
that the car whose track he had been following had turned in here. He
held up his hand and stopped a luggage trolley which had just turned the
bend in the avenue. The man pulled up and touched his hat.

"Where are you off to, Fellowes?" Julian enquired.

"I am going to Holt station, sir," the man replied, "after some
luggage."

"Are there any guests at the Hall who motored here, do you know?" Julian
asked.

"Only the young lady, sir," the man replied, "Miss Abbeway. She came in
a little coupe Panhard."

Julian frowned thoughtfully.

"Has she been out in it this morning?" he asked.

The man shook his head.

"She broke down in it yesterday afternoon, sir," he answered, "about
halfway up to the Hall here."

"Broke down?" Julian repeated. "Anything serious? Couldn't you put it
right for her?"

"She wouldn't let me touch it, sir," the man explained. "She said she
had two cracked sparking plugs, and she wanted to replace them herself.
She has had some lessons, and I think she wanted a bit of practice."

"I see. Then the car is in the avenue now?"

"About half a mile up, on the left-hand side, sir, just by the big elm.
Miss Abbeway said she was coming down this afternoon to put new plugs
in."

"Then it's been there all the time since yesterday afternoon?" Julian
persisted.

"The young lady wished it left there, sir. I could have put a couple
of plugs in, in five minutes, and brought her up to the house, but she
wouldn't hear of it."

"I see, Fellowes."

"Any luck with the geese last night, sir?" the man asked. "I heard there
was a pack of them on Stiffkey Marshes."

"I got one. They came badly for us," Julian replied.

He made his way up the avenue. At exactly the spot indicated by the
chauffeur a little coupe car was standing, drawn on to the turf. He
glanced at the name of the maker and looked once more at the tracks upon
the drive. Finally, he decided that his investigations were leading him
in a most undesirable direction.

He turned back, walked across the marshes, where he found nothing to
disturb him, and lunched with Furley, whose leg was now so much better
that he was able to put it to the ground.

"What about this visitor of yours?" Julian asked, as they sat smoking
afterwards. "I must be back at the Hall in time to dine to-night, you
know. My people made rather a point of it."

Furley nodded.

"You'll be all right," he replied. "As a matter of fact, he isn't
coming."

"Not coming?