"But the police?" "They were off at once, sir. They're going to hire a big boat and try and find him; but the inspector shook his head. He says he thinks it means being washed away to sea." That was a sad day at the tutor's, Richard Frayne's yellow-pupils going to and fro in the silent house talking of the cousins, and canvassing Richard Frayne's act from different points of view. The news soon spread, too, in the town; for the setting-off of the police with a couple of stout boatmen and the drags was enough to set the place in a ferment. There were plenty there, too, ready to talk of the position, as everything leaked out by degrees, and formed an exciting topic to add to that of the previous day, during which some hundreds had flocked down to the ruins to see the spot where the two pupils had fought and one had been killed--so it was firmly believed. Now the journeys were in the other direction--down the flooded river--but here the remains of the bridge and the spot where the mill had stood were the only things which rewarded their enterprise; for the police-boat had been swept down for miles, and it was not till dark that the men returned by rail to report that they could do nothing in the fierce, rushing waters till the flood was at an end. That evening, to Jerry's great disgust, a crowd of idlers gathered on the opposite side of the road to stare at the tutor's house, where the blinds were drawn down, as if they secured great satisfaction in gaping and whispering one to the other. "Oh!" he muttered, "if I could only have my way!" Mr Shrubsole, the second doctor, undertook to stay at the house that night, in case of any relapse on the part of Mark, and to the tutor's great satisfaction, for he had fallen into a nervous state, wandering about the place and giving the pupils a fresh theme of conversation to occupy the dreary, slow-dragging time. Jerry caught the inspector as he came out of Mr Draycott's study, and signalled him into the pantry. "Then you did nothing?" he said. "Yes, we did," said the inspector, grimly; "we saved our lives, which was about all we could do. I only went for the name of the thing, Mr Brigley--thankye, I'll say port. Of course, I went--ah! very nice full glass or wine. People's so ready to say, `Where are the police?' that, if we hadn't gone, they'd ha' been ready to think the poor young gent was hanging on by the branch of a tree and we wouldn't go and save him. But I put it to you--well, thankye, Mr Brigley, I won't say no; didn't know you kept such a port as that." "It won't be long before the water goes down?" "No. Not it. Goes down, you know, as quickly as it goes up; but don't you expect too much, sir." "You think you won't find him?" "Yes; that's it," said the inspector. "Why, look at the way the water was rushing along! Of course, he may be picked up right away down where the tide rises--Limesmouth or Dunkney--or about there; but I say it's very doubtful." "Ah!" sighed Jerry.