"Good evening, Mrs. Crowe," said Brett, advancing. "Have you seen a telegraph messenger recently?" "Lawk, sir," she cried, "I didn't recognise you in the gloom! No, sir, there's been no messenger, only--" Then she uttered a startled exclamation. "Why, there's Mr. David an' Mr. Robert! I could ha' sworn one of you gentlemen walked up to the house five minutes ago, an' I wunnered you never took no notice of me. Well, of all the strange things!" "It was a natural mistake," said the barrister quietly. Then he told the coachman to wait where he was until a message reached him from the house. He did not want to disturb the visitor who had caused Mrs. Crowe to "wunner," nor was there any use in sending the carriage back to Stowmarket. Somehow, he felt that Capella would not come to Beechcroft that night. The five men went rapidly and silently up the avenue. As they approached the lighted library, they could see a servant parleying with the Japanese. A motion of Brett's hand brought the party into the shade of the sombre yews. "You and Holden," he said to Hume, "go round to the main entrance, proceed at once to the library door, enter the room, and lock the door behind you. Be ready with your stick, and do not hesitate to lunge hard if Ooma attacks you. You, Holden, keep the revolver handy. It must only be used to save life. The moment you appear at the door we will rush to the window, which is open. Ooma must have entered that way. You both understand?" They nodded and walked off, clinging to the line of the trees. The others closed up. Timing their approach with perfect judgment, they crept over the gravelled road at the bend, and gained the turf in front of the window. Ooma's back was towards them. They could hear his voice--a queer, high-pitched, yet strident voice--whilst he questioned a somewhat scared footman as to the whereabouts of his mistress. The man had evidently perceived the remarkable resemblance borne by this uncanny stranger to the Frazer family. His replies were respectful, but stuttering. He was alarmed by those fierce eyes, more especially because his inability to give satisfactory information seemed to anger the new-comer. "You are not a child," they heard Ooma say, with menace in his tone. "You must have heard, from her maid or some other source, where Mrs. Capella has gone to?" "N--no, sir," stammered the man. "I really 'aven't I t--t--thought Mrs. C--Capella was in London. The b--butler says we are all to 'ave a 'oliday next week." "Is there no way in which I can find out where your mistress is at this moment? I must see her. My business is important. It cannot wait. It is of the utmost importance to her."