, in spite of the
conspiratorial air and behaviour of Eglantine, they were speeding
swiftly in the motor car toward Budleigh Salterton. It was a
delightful, moonlit night, and Pollyooly enjoyed the drive greatly.

About forty minutes later the car stopped at a little gate leading into
a pine wood, and they descended, bade the driver good night, and went
through it. In the path through the dark wood Eglantine lost her air
of competent and excited leadership. She was timorous, held Pollyooly
tightly by the arm, and when a bird, or an animal, rustled in the
bushes, she squeaked.

At last the path ended in a little gate opening into the garden of the
lonely house. They came up to it very gently, and Eglantine peered
round the garden, searching for the lawyer and the detective.

It seemed empty, and as she opened the gate she whispered:

"We must roon quick!"

They bolted across the garden to the back door, and as they reached it
a man burst out of the bushes twenty yards on their left, and dashed at
them. Eglantine screamed, but she opened the door, dragged Pollyooly
through it, slammed the door in the pursuer's face, and shot the bolt.
At the sound of the bang the duchess came flying through the lighted
hall. At the sight of Pollyooly she cried:

"Thank goodness you've come!"

Eglantine burst into an excited narrative of their journey and narrow
escape from the watcher in the garden.

"Then he actually saw Mary Bride come into the house?" cried the
duchess joyfully, and she clapped her hands.

"But yes! Ever so plainly!" cried Eglantine.

"Good! Nothing could be better!" said the duchess. "They'll think
that Marion is in the house, and that's all I want."

She kissed Pollyooly, thanked her for coming, asked if the journey had
tired her very much, and led her into the dining-room, where a
delicious supper awaited her. As she ate it the duchess, watching her
with an air of lively satisfaction, matured her plans. At last she
said:

"I was going to let them catch you to-morrow morning, and then I was
going up to London with you. But you look like a clever little girl;
do you think you could hide in the wood from them all the morning? If
you could, I would go up to London first thing, and I should have lots
of time to get away with Marion before they caught you and found out
who you were."

"Oh, yes! I'm sure I could!" cried Pollyooly eagerly; and her eyes
shone with a bright joy at the prospect o