"You're all right?" he demanded in tones which made clear to the girl how anxious he had been. "There's nothing wrong--with you or your mother--personally, I mean? You see, I didn't get your wire until this afternoon, and then I raced off as quick--" "I know," she said, responding a little to the pressure of his hands. "I understand. You may be sure I shouldn't have wired if I hadn't felt it absolutely necessary. Somebody was wanted--and you'd made me promise, and so--Yes," she continued, drawing back as Vickers came up, "we are all right, personally, but--there's something very wrong indeed somewhere. Will you both come in and see mother?" Mrs. Greyle, looking worn and ill, appeared just then in the hall, and called to them to come in. She preceded them into the parlour and turned to the young men as soon as Audrey closed the door. "I'm more thankful to see you gentlemen than I've ever been in my life--for anything!" she said. "Something is happening here which needs the attention of men--we women can't do anything. Let me tell you what it is. Yesterday morning, very early the Squire's steam-yacht, the _Pike_, was brought into the inner harbour and moored against the quay just opposite the park gates. We, of course, could see it, and as we knew he had gone away we wondered why it was brought in there. After it had been moored, we saw that preparations of some sort were being made. Then men--estate labourers--began coming down from the house, carrying packing-cases, which were taken on board. And while this was going on, Mrs. Peller, the housekeeper, came hurrying here, in a state of great consternation. She said that a number of men, sailors and estate men, were packing up and removing all the most valuable things in the house--the finest pictures, the old silver, the famous collection of china which Stephen John Greyle made--and spent thousands upon thousands of pounds in making!--the rarest and most valuable books out of the library--all sorts of things of real and great value. Everything was being taken down to the _Pike_--and the estate carpenter, who was in charge of all this, said it was by the Squire's orders, and produced to Mrs. Peller his written authority. Of course, Mrs. Peller could do nothing against that, but she came hurrying to tell us, because she, like everybody else, is much exercised by these recent events. And so Audrey and I pocketed our pride, and went to see Peter Chatfield. But Peter Chatfield, like his master, had gone! He had left home the previous evening, and his house was locked up." Copplestone and Vickers exchanged glances, and the young solicitor signed Mrs. Greyle to proceed.