"Ship Street, Tower Hill," explained Jack; and I dare say the Squire was as wise as before. "Quite a colony of officers live there, while their vessels are lying in St. Katherine's Docks. Ship Street lies handy, you see; they have to be on board by six in the morning." "I knew a young fellow who lodged all the way down at Poplar, because it was near to his ship," contended the Squire. "No doubt. His ship must have been berthed in the East India Docks; they are much further off. I will go away at once, then. But," added Jack, arresting his steps, and turning to Sir Dace, "don't you think it may be as well to question the household? Your daughter may have left some indication of her movements." Jack's thought was not a bad one. Coralie rang the bell for their own maid, Esther, a dull, silent kind of young woman. But Esther knew nothing. She had not helped Miss Verena to dress that evening, only Miss Coralie. Miss Verena said she did not want her. She believed Maria saw her go out. Maria, the housemaid, was called: a smart young woman, with curled hair and a pink bow in her cap. Her tale was this. While the young ladies were dressing for dinner, she entered the drawing-room to attend to the fire, and found it very low. She went on her knees to coax it up, when Miss Verena came in in her white petticoat, a little shawl on her neck. She walked straight up to Miss Fontaine's work-box, opened it and shut it, and then went out of the room again. "Did she speak to you?" asked John Tanerton. "Yes, sir. Leastways she made just a remark--'What, that fire out again?' she said. That was all, sir." "Go on," sharply cried Sir Dace. "About ten minutes later, I was at the front-door, letting out the water-rate--who is sure to call, as my missis told him, at the most ill-convenient time--when Miss Verena came softly down the stairs with her bonnet and mantle on. I felt surprised. 'Don't shut me in, Maria, when I want to go out,' she said to me in a laughing sort of way, and I pulled the door back and begged her pardon. That was all, sir." "How was she dressed?" asked Coralie. "I couldn't say," answered the girl; "except that her clothes were dark. Her black veil was down over her face; I noticed that; and she had a little carpet-bag in her hand." So there we were, no wiser than before. Verena had taken flight, and it was impossible to say whither. They were for running all over the world. The Squire would have started forthwith, and taken the top of the Monument to begin with. John Tanerton, departing on his search to find Pym's lodgings, found we all meant to attend him, including Ozias. "Better let me go alone," said Jack. "I am Pym's master at sea, and can perhaps exercise some little authority on shore. Johnny Ludlow can go with me."