The Experiences of Loveday Brooke, Lady Detective | Page 7

considerable diminution.
"The gentlemen detectives," she said, "spent over an hour in this room;
they paced the floor, they measured the candles, they—"
"Mrs. Williams," interrupted Loveday, "I am quite ready to look at the
room below." Her manner had changed from gossiping friendliness to
that of the business woman hard at work at her profession.
Without another word, Mrs. Williams led the way to the little room
which had proved itself to be the "weak point" of the house.
They entered it by the door which opened into a passage leading to the
back-stairs of the house. Loveday found the room exactly what it had
been described to her by Mr. Dyer. It needed no second glance at the

window to see the ease with which anyone could open it from the
outside, and swing themselves into the room, when once the brass catch
had been unfastened.
Loveday wasted no time here. In fact, much to Mrs. Williams's surprise
and disappointment, she merely walked across the room, in at one door
and out at the opposite one, which opened into the large inner hall of
the house.
Here, however, she paused to ask a question:
"Is that chair always placed exactly in that position?" she said, pointing
to an oak chair that stood immediately outside the room they had just
quitted.
The housekeeper answered in the affirmative. It was a warm corner.
"My lady" was particular that everyone who came to the house on
messages should have a comfortable place to wait in.
"I shall be glad if you will show me to my room now," said Loveday, a
little abruptly; "and will you kindly send up to me a county trade
directory, if, that is, you have such a thing in the house?"
Mrs. Williams, with an air of offended dignity, led the way to the
bedroom quarters once more. The worthy housekeeper felt as if her
own dignity had, in some sort, been injured by the want of interest Miss
Brooke had evinced in the rooms which, at the present moment, she
considered the "show" rooms of the house.
"Shall I send someone to help you unpack?" she asked, a little stiffly, at
the door of Loveday's room.
"No, thank you; there will not be much unpacking to do. I must leave
here by the first up-train to-morrow morning."
"To-morrow morning! Why, I have told everyone you will be here at
least a fortnight!"

"Ah, then you must explain that I have been suddenly summoned home
by telegram. I'm sure I can trust you to make excuses for me. Do not,
however, make them before supper-time. I shall like to sit down to that
meal with you. I suppose I shall see Stephanie then?"
The housekeeper answered in the affirmative, and went her way,
wondering over the strange manners of the lady whom, at first, she had
been disposed to consider "such a nice, pleasant, conversable person!"
At supper-time, however, when the upper-servants assembled at what
was, to them, the pleasantest meal of the day, a great surprise was to
greet them.
Stephanie did not take her usual place at table, and a fellow-servant,
sent to her room to summon her returned, saying that the room was
empty, and Stephanie was nowhere to be found.
Loveday and Mrs. Williams together went to the girl's bed-room. It
bore its usual appearance: no packing had been done in it, and, beyond
her hat and jacket, the girl appeared to have taken nothing away with
her.
On enquiry, it transpired that Stephanie had, as usual, assisted Lady
Cathrow to dress for dinner; but after that not a soul in the house
appeared to have seen her.
Mrs. Williams thought the matter of sufficient importance to be at once
reported to her master and mistress; and Sir George, in his turn,
promptly dispatched a messenger to Mr. Bates, at the "King's Head," to
summon him to an immediate consultation.
Loveday dispatched a messenger in another direction--to young Mr.
Holt, at his farm, giving him particulars of the girl's disappearance.
Mr. Bates had a brief interview with Sir George in his study, from
which he emerged radiant. He made a point of seeing Loveday before
he left the Court, sending a special request to her that she would speak
to him for a minute in the outside drive.

Loveday put her hat on, and went out to him. She found him almost
dancing for glee.
"Told you so! told you so! Now, didn't I, Miss Brooke?" he exclaimed.
"We'll come upon her traces before morning, never fear. I'm quite
prepared. I knew what was in her mind all along. I said to myself, when
that girl bolts it will be after she has dressed my lady for dinner--when
she has two good clear hours all