“I shall inform you at once,” he went on, “of everything which transpires. I must spend this evening in making some preliminary inquiries; but there is no necessity for you to fatigue yourself further.” Miss Blow looked at him long and searchingly. Mr. Goddard felt that she was judging of his strength and determination, was deciding whether she could fully trust him or not. He endeavoured to assume the expression of face which he believed to be common to those strong, silent Englishmen, whom the heroines of novels learn, after other people have turned out to be frauds, to trust to the uttermost. He was, apparently, quite successful in his effort. He deserved to be; for he really felt for the moment, with Miss Blow’s eyes on him, that he was exactly the kind of man he wished to appear. Miss Blow, without a word, stretched out her hand to him. He took it and ventured to press it slightly. He would have carried it to his lips and pressed a reverent kiss upon it, if Jimmy O’Loughlin had not been standing at the door of the hotel. Afterwards he was sorry that he had not defied Jimmy O’Loughlin. A reverent kiss, even if it had to soak through a glove, would have been most appropriate to the occasion. Miss Blow got out of the trap and went into the hotel. Mr. Goddard drove on to the police barrack. He found Sergeant Farrelly and Constable Cole drawn up before the door. They had seen their inspector drive into the town and were ready for him. Mr. Goddard at once ordered the sergeant to follow him into the barrack. Constable Cole mounted guard over the horse and trap. “Now, sergeant,” said Mr. Goddard, “what have you to tell me about the disappearance of Dr. O’Grady?” “There’s another man gone since then, sir,” said the sergeant gloomily. “What do you mean? Who’s gone?” “I thought it right to let you know, sir--I was within writing a report on the matter when I seen you drive into the town--that Patsy Devlin the smith is gone. His wife was up at the barrack shortly after Constable Moriarty left with the young lady, and she says he’s missing.” “It’s a queer thing,” said Mr. Goddard, “that two men should disappear in this sort of way within a couple of days of each other. It looks bad. Let’s take them one at a time and see what we can make out of them. What have you to say about the doctor?” “Everybody knows the reason he’s made off,” said the sergeant, “only nobody’d like to be telling the young lady, and that’s what has us all put about the way we are.” “Do you mean debt?” “I do, sir. It’s common talk. Jimmy O’Loughlin told me himself----” “It’s not true anyhow, whether Jimmy O’Loughlin said it or not. Whatever it was made the doctor bolt, it wasn’t that.” “Then I don’t know what it would be.” “No more do I; but I’m going to see Lord Manton and talk to him about it.” “It could be,” said Sergeant Farrelly, “that he’d know. Did you take notice of the note that he gave to the young lady?” “Yes; I saw it.”