Aunt Caroline looked worried. “We can’t allow this sort of thing to go on,” she declared. “If I only could be sure that he had just not bothered to come home I should be very angry.” “Well, as you’re evidently not sure, I suppose you aren’t,” said the canon, lightly. “I don’t see how he could lose himself even if he wanted to. He must have discovered some new friends. I think I’ll go into the town and make inquiries.” Aunt Caroline laid down her work. “If you wait a minute I’ll put on my hat and go with you.” Then, becoming aware of the presence of Palmer and Edward and Barbara, she added peremptorily, “And you children run off to bed at once!” “It’s not Dorset’s and my time yet,” replied Edward, resenting the injustice that would deprive him of ten legitimate minutes. “It’s always time to do what you’re told,” returned Aunt Caroline sharply, and Edward felt he had better say no more. Meanwhile Palmer was ‘torn by conflicting emotions’――the desire to bring a carefully arranged plan to its brilliant conclusion and show all his cards in one dazzling surprise, and the guilty consciousness that he was withholding information which would certainly throw light on the matter in hand. The struggle was a brief one, and before Aunt Caroline had time to go upstairs for her hat he said, “I think Grif has gone after the circus.” “The circus!” Aunt Caroline almost screamed. “What circus? You don’t mean to tell me that you knew all along he had run off with those horrible men?” “I don’t know anything,” Palmer answered quietly. But Aunt Caroline’s suspicions were now thoroughly aroused. “What made you think of it then?” “Because he went out to look for Pouncer, and I think Pouncer was stolen by one of the circus men. Ann saw a strange man with earrings prowling about just before dinner.” “Really, Palmer! you might have said all this at first, when you _knew_ how anxious we were! I think it’s too bad of you! Goodness only knows what may have happened to the child! I can’t imagine how you could be so stupid as to sit there dumb all the time, while we were racking our brains to think what had become of him! And you too, Edward! I’ll never be able to put the least confidence in either of you again.” “_I_ knew nothing about it,” cried Edward, indignantly. “And Dorset’s only guessing, because Grif wasn’t at Mr. Bradley’s.” “You both of you knew about that horrid man being here.” “I knew what Ann told us, but I’d forgotten all about it.” “Well, well,” the canon interrupted, “we’re only wasting time. If you’re coming, Caroline, you’d better get ready at once.” * * * * * “What did you keep so dark about it all for?” Edward asked his friend, when they were safe in the privacy of their own room. Jim, though he had determined to lie awake and listen for Grif’s return, was already sound asleep. “Because I had a good reason for doing so,” Palmer answered dreamily.