His face got red again and you could see he had to make an effort not to get angry. "After I had heard from Miss Hesketh and seen from Dr. Fowler’s manner that I was not wanted at Mapleshade, I saw her at intervals. Once or twice we went for walks in the woods, and a few times, perhaps three or four, I met her on the turnpike and took her for a drive in my car." He then went on to tell how he drove back to Firehill, reaching there a little after nine. The place was empty and he went up to his room. He didn’t know how long he’d been there when the telephone rang. It was the mysterious message from her. He repeated it slowly, evidently trying to give it word for word. You could have heard a pin drop when he ended. "Did you attempt to question her on the phone?" "No, it all went too quick and I was too astonished." "Did you get the impression that she was in any grave danger?" "No, I never thought of that. She was very rash and impulsive and I thought she’d done some foolhardy thing and had turned to me as the one person on whom she could rely." "What do you mean by foolhardy?" He gave a shrug and threw out his hands. "The sort of thing a child might do—some silly, thoughtless action. She was full of spirit and daring; you never could be sure of what she mightn’t try. I didn’t think of any definite thing. I ran to the garage and got out my car and went northward up the Firehill Road. It was terrible traveling, and I should say it took me nearly three-quarters of an hour to make the distance. When I was nearing the pike I sounded my horn to let her know I was coming. "Just before I got there the clouds had broken and the moon come out. The whole landscape was flooded with light, and I made no doubt I’d see her as soon as I turned into the pike. But she wasn’t there. I slowed up and waited, looking up and down, for I’d no idea which way she was coming, but there wasn’t a sign of her. As far as I could see, the road was lifeless and deserted. Then I ran up and down—a mile or two either way—but there was no one to be seen." "Did you hear any sounds in the underbrush—footsteps, breaking of twigs?" "I heard nothing. The place was as still as the grave. I made longer runs up and down, looking along both sides and now and then waiting and sounding the auto horn." "Did you stop at any of the farms or cottages and make inquiries?" "No. I didn’t do that because I had no thought of her being in any real danger and because she’d cautioned me against letting anyone know. After I’d searched the main road thoroughly for several miles and gone up several branch roads I began to think she’d played a joke on me." "Do you mean fooled you?"