I confess I was rather disappointed; I had hoped that my shot would tell. "And you heard no unusual noise--no scream, nor anything of that sort." "No, sir; though I was so busy and worried I dare say I wouldn't have heard a cannon-shot." "When did you learn that something was wrong?" "I heard Mrs. Lawrence asking if any one had seen her daughter. Then she sent some of the servants to look for her." "What time was that?" "About ten minutes after I had spoken to her." "Yes--what then?" "Well, I didn't pay much attention, at first; but when the bridesmaids came, they raised such a hullabaloo that I couldn't help but take notice." "What did Mrs. Lawrence do?" "Why, she tried to quiet them--I must say she was the coolest one in the house--except one." "Who was that?" "Miss Lawrence's maid. She just sat there on the stairs and glowered and grinned and chewed her nails and never said a word. She gave me the creeps. I could swear she knew all about it and was glad of it." I repressed a chuckle of satisfaction. Here was better luck than I had expected. "How was Miss Lawrence dressed when you saw her?" I asked. "All in rustly white. I judged it was her wedding-dress." "And you say she seemed quite as usual?" "Yes, sir; only, of course, excited, as any woman would be--though calm, too, and with a sort of deep glow in her eyes when she looked at you. I can't describe it, sir; but I remember thinking that the man who was to get her was a mighty lucky fellow. Did you know her, sir?" "No," I said; "I've never seen her." "Ah," he added, closing his eyes for an instant, "if you'd seen her then, you'd never forget it. I never will. I never saw another woman to touch her!" and he turned away to his work, with the vision he had conjured up evidently still before him. As I started along the hall, I saw through the open front door a mail-carrier coming up the walk. I hastened to meet him--this was another fortunate chance. "How many deliveries do you make a day out here?" I asked, as he came up the steps with a bundle of letters in his hand--I could guess the belated congratulations which were among them! "Only two--morning and afternoon," he answered. "What time in the morning?" "About nine o'clock, usually." "It was about that time this morning?" "Yes, sir; maybe ten minutes after nine." "Who took the mail?" "I put it in the box here in the vestibule, as I always do," he said, and suited the action to the word. I watched him as he walked away. So it had not been a letter which had caused Miss Lawrence's sudden panic. That reduced the possibilities to two. Either she had received a visitor or a telegram. I must endeavour to---- A voice at my elbow aroused me. "Mrs. Lawrence wishes to see you, sir," it said.