"You must please send some one to find Mr. Quarrier, without a moment's
delay. I will come in and wait."

The coachman happened to be in the kitchen. Mrs. Wade had him summoned,
and despatched him for his master. Though her limbs shook with fatigue,
she could not remain seated for more than a few minutes at a time; she
kept the drawing-room door open, and kept going out to listen. Her
suspense lasted for more than half an hour; then at length she heard a
cab rattle up the drive, and in another moment Quarrier stood before
her. This was the second time within a few days that her face had been
of ill omen to him; he frowned an anxious inquiry.

"You haven't seen Lilian?" she began.

"Seen her?"

"She has gone--left the cottage--I can't find her."

"Gone? When did she go?"

"I have bad news for you. Northway has come back; he called at the
cottage about seven o'clock. I didn't let him know Lilian was there,
and soon got rid of him; he said he would have to see you again. Lilian
was dreadfully agitated, and when I happened to leave the room, she
went out--disappeared--I thought she must have come home "----

"What do the servants say?"

"They haven't seen her."

"But she may have gone to Mary's?"

Arrested in the full flow of his jubilant spirits by this extraordinary
announcement, Denzil could not admit grave alarm. If Lilian had fled
from the proximity of her pursuer, she must of course have taken refuge
with some friend.

"Let us go to the Liversedges'," he exclaimed. "I have a cab"----

"Stop, Mr. Quarrier.--I haven't told you the worst. She ran from the
house just as she was, without her hat"----

"What do you mean? Why should she----?"

"She was in a dreadful state. I had done my best to soothe her. I was
just going to send for you. My servant saw her run out from the
sitting-room into the garden, and the gate wasn't opened--she must have
gone the back way--into the fields."

"Into the fields----?"

He stared at her with a look of gathering horror, and his tongue failed
him.

"I followed that way. I searched everywhere. I went a long way over
towards"----

She broke off, quivering from head to foot.

"But she _must_ have gone somewhere for refuge--to some one's house."

"I hope so! Oh, I hope so!"

Her voice choked; tears started from her eyes.

"What do you fear? Tell me at once, plainly!"

She caught his hand, and replied with sobs of anguish.

"Why should she have gone into the f