On the doorstep, an indistinct figure in the fog, stood a young man, and on seeing Herrick he began at once to unfold his errand. "Mr. Herrick, beg pardon, sir; master's sent me over to ask if Mrs. Rose is here." "Mrs. Rose? Are you from Greenriver?" "Yes, sir. I'm Andrews, sir, and we're all a bit anxious about the mistress. She wasn't at home for dinner, and no one saw her go out." "Comes inside a minute." The man obeying, Herrick closed the door and, still holding Olga's collar, led the way to the sitting-room. "Now, tell me, as shortly as possible, why you thought Mrs. Rose might be here?" "It was Kate's idea, sir--the parlourmaid. When Mrs. Ross didn't come down to dinner she thought as perhaps she'd come over here. I thought it weren't likely on account of the fog, but we couldn't think of anywhere else for Mrs. Rose to be." "Your master is at home?" "Yes, sir, got in about seven. He was shut up in his room--the lib'ry--till nearly dinner-time, and then he waited and waited for the mistress to come down--and when she didn't come he got fidgety and sent Kate upstairs." "And Kate found no one?" "No, sir. Only the dog--Jock--lying curled up in the very middle of the bed--a thing he's never been known to do before, sir." "Mrs. Rose has not been here," said Herrick. "But just wait a moment. I will ask my wife if she expected Mrs. Rose." He went out of the room, and found Eva coming down the short flight of stairs from the upper floor. "What's the matter, Jim? Who is the man in there?" "It is the man-servant from Greenriver asking if Mrs. Rose has been here. You did not expect her, did you, Eva?" "Oh, no." She spoke calmly. "We were to meet to-morrow morning, but we had no appointment for to-night." "I see. Odd where she can have got to." Herrick frowned thoughtfully. "You can't give me any clue to her movements, Eva? You don't remember hearing her say anything about to-night?" "I haven't the slightest idea," said Eva, with apparent sincerity, and Herrick turned away without asking any other question. Re-entering the room he quietly told the waiting Andrews that nothing had been seen of Mrs. Rose, nor had she been expected on that particular evening; and the young man thanked him dejectedly and moved to the door. "It's a wretched night," said Herrick. "Won't you have a glass of something before you go?" Andrews thanked him, but declined; and seeing he was anxious to be gone, Herrick did not press him, but let him depart without more ado. He turned again into the sitting-room, meditating on this extraordinary disappearance; and a minute later his wife joined him, eager to hear the reason of Andrews' quest. She came into the room wearing a satin kimono she had bought that day, her curly golden hair bound with a broad pink ribbon, her small, narrow foot thrust into satin slippers of the same hue.