"Mrs. Carswell," said Joseph, "has always been more or less of a mysterious person. We know nothing about her. I don't even know where Horbury got her from. But--the probability is that they were in collusion, and that when he went, she stayed behind, to ascertain how things turned out on his disappearance; and that she fled when it began to appear that searching inquiries were to be made into which she might be drawn." The Earl made no reply. He recognized that the Chestermarke observations and suggestions were rather more than plausible, and much as he fought against the idea of the missing manager's dishonesty, he could not deny that the circumstances as set forth by the bankers were suspicious. "Your lordship will, of course, follow up this woman?" said Gabriel, after a brief silence. "I suppose the police will," replied the Earl. "But--aren't you going to do anything yourselves, Mr. Chestermarke? You told me, you know, that certain securities of yours were missing." Gabriel glanced at his nephew--and Joseph nodded. "Oh, well!" answered Gabriel. "We don't mind telling your lordship--and if your lordship pleases, you may tell the police--we are doing something. We have, in fact, been doing something from an early hour. We have a very clever man at work just now--he has been at work since he heard from us twenty-four hours ago. But--our ideas are not those of Polke. Polke begins his inquiries here. Our inquiries--based on our knowledge--begin ... elsewhere." "You think Horbury will be heard of--elsewhere?" suggested the Earl. "Much more likely to be heard of elsewhere than here, my lord!" asserted Gabriel. "But, of course, what we do need not interfere with anything that your lordship does, or that Miss Fosdyke does, or that the police do." "All that any of us want, I suppose, is to find Horbury," said the Earl, as he rose. "If he's found, then, I conclude, some explanation will result. You don't believe in searching about here, then?" "Let Polke and his men have their way, my lord," replied Gabriel, with a wave of his hand. "My impression of police methods is that those who follow them can only follow that particular path. We are not looking for Horbury--here. He's--elsewhere." "So, by this time, are your lordship's jewels," added Joseph significantly. "They, one may be sure, are not going to be found in or about Scarnham." The Earl said good-day and went out, troubled and wondering. In the hall he met the search-party. Mr. Batterley had failed to find anything in the way of secret stairs or passages or openings beyond those already known to the occupants, and though he was still confident that they existed, the police had wound up their present investigations to turn to more palpable things. Polke and the detective listened to the Earl's account of his interview, and the superintendent sniffed at the mention of the inquiries instituted by the partners.