ll thing to wish for she thought despairingly. Just
seven short weeks over again.

At five o'clock Mr. Anstruther opened the drawing-room door and came out
into the hall. He did not see Eleanor who, wearied out at length with her
ceaseless pacing to and fro, had flung herself down a few-minutes
previously on Nancy's favourite couch behind the screen, but the ever
watchful Martin came forward immediately, and though his offer of coffee
was declined, he was permitted to help Mr. Anstruther into his overcoat.
From the brief colloquy that ensued between them Eleanor gathered that he
was going down to the police station. As soon as he had left she sprang
up and went out into the garden. The long and seemingly endless night was
at least over, and surely with daylight they might hope for news of
Margaret. The morning had broken cold and chilly, but the mist was
sweeping away in great rolling clouds before a light easterly breeze that
had sprung up at dawn.

At six o'clock Geoffrey and Maud came home. Eleanor, who then was pacing
up and down the drive, was the first to greet them, and her heart sank
when, in answer to her eager look, they shook their heads. They had
neither seen nor heard anything of Margaret.

"But no news is at least good news," said Geoffrey, quickly seeing how
sick at heart she looked, and remembering the news with which he had
returned the time before, she could not but agree with him there. "We
have scoured the downs between here and Windy Gap thoroughly, and I am
beginning to believe that she never tried to get there at all. We have
just come straight back from there now. Mrs. Murray has been up all night
with a hot bed, and hot blankets, and a hot bath, and all sorts of other
hot things, waiting for Miss Anstruther directly she turns up. And her
coachman and a couple of men from the village have been beating about on
the downs most of the night. I really believe she has crept into a rabbit
hole and means to lie low until all this fuss has blown over."

Though this remark did not succeed in bringing a smile to Eleanor's pale
lips, his cheery manner insensibly comforted her, and she turned and
walked back to the house with him and Maud, feeling that the load of her
trouble was somewhat lightened by their society.

"Hot soup again, Martin!" Geoffrey exclaimed, as the servant made his
appearance with a tray bearing some steaming cups directly they entered
the house, "we really can't do it. What with you