Arthur Saville waited in vain by the schoolroom fire, for his sister did not join him. And when he entered the dining-room in response to the summons of the gong, she had not yet made her appearance. Mrs Asplin looked at him with uplifted brows. "Where is Peggy?" "I don't know. I haven't seen her since she went upstairs. The little wretch can't have hurried very much." "She hasn't been with you, then! Never mind, there is plenty of time to come. She must be making a special toilet for your benefit." But when the first course was nearly over and the girl had not yet appeared, Mrs Asplin grew impatient, and despatched the servant to hasten her movements. "Just tell her that we have been at table for nearly ten minutes. Ask if she will be long." Mary left the room, was absent a short time, and came back with an extraordinary statement. "Miss Peggy is not in her room, ma'am." "Not in her room! Then she must have come downstairs. Perhaps she didn't hear the gong. Just look in the schoolroom, Mary, and in the other rooms too, and tell her to come at once." Another few minutes passed, and back again came Mary, looking flushed and mysterious. "I can't see Miss Peggy anywhere, ma'am. She has not come downstairs." "You have looked in the drawing-room--Mr Asplin's study?" "Yes, ma'am." "Did you go upstairs again?" "No, ma'am. I had looked there before." "Esther dear, you go!" cried Mrs Asplin quickly. "Bring her down at once! What in the world is the child doing? It's most extraordinary!" "She's not given to playing games of hide-and-seek just at dinner-time, is she?" asked Arthur, laughing. "I am never surprised at anything Peggy does. She has some little prank on hand, depend upon it, and will turn up in good time. It's her own fault if she misses her dinner." "But it's so extraordinary! To-night of all nights, when you have just arrived! I wish the child would come!" replied Mrs Asplin, craning her neck forward to listen to the cries of "Peggy! Peggy!" which came from the upper storey. The door stood open, and everyone ceased talking to follow Esther's footsteps to and fro, to count the opening and shutting of doors--one, two, three, four, five--to look apprehensively at each other as the messenger returned--alone! "Mother, she is not there! I've looked everywhere--in every corner--and she has not changed her dress, nor washed, nor anything. The room looks exactly as if she had never gone in; but she did, for we all followed her upstairs. I looked over the wardrobe, and all her dresses are there, and the can of hot water is untouched, and the gas left full up." "Oh dear, what can have happened?" Mrs Asplin pushed back her chair and stood up, looking anxious and puzzled. "I cannot rest until she is found! I must look myself! Go on with dinner, all of you; I won't be long. Where can the child be hiding herself?"