Miss Mason started, and her face grew pale. Hastily thrusting the letter into her pocket, she looked at the girl. "What is it, Gerty? Nothing is wrong with Arnold?" "No! no! What a timid thing you are," said Gerty, opening the gate. "But I have just seen Luther. He hasn't found his car. But he told me that a murder had been committed in your sister's house." "A murder!" Laura grasped her friend's arm. "Not Arnold?" "No. It's a woman." "Who is she?" "No one knows. She was found lying dead in the White Room. Stabbed in the back, and quite dead. Such a pretty woman, Luther says, and quite young. Luther thinks the murderer ran away with his car, and that's how it's missing. He's coming round here this morning to see you." "To see me? Why should he see me? I know nothing." Laura spoke sharply, and her face was in a glow of colour. At the same time it expressed bewilderment. "How did the woman enter the house?" she asked; "and who is she?" "I tell you no one knows," said Gerty impatiently. "You'll hear all from Luther, when he comes. But don't say anything to mother. She'll only moan and make a fuss. Besides, Luther says it had better be kept quiet till your brother-in-law comes up. He has been telegraphed for by the police." "The police. O Gerty, will they bring the police into the matter?" "Of course. It was a policeman who found the body last night." "How did the policeman enter the house?" asked Laura. "It's shut up, and not even a caretaker was left." "I don't know the whole story. Luther would not tell me much." Here Gerty looked at her friend. "Laura, I thought you went to the house last night." "No," said Laura, after a moment's hesitation. "I told you that I was going to meet Arnold. You know that I have to meet him by stealth, since Julia objects to our engagement. It is not likely we would meet at the house--especially as it is locked up." "Did you meet him?" asked Gerty persistently and curiously. "I didn't. I went into the fields by the Nightingale's Tree, and waited till nearly a quarter to ten. But Arnold never came." "Did he promise to come?" "No. I only went on the chance. He thought that he might be able to get away if his understudy could take his part in the piece." "I expect he couldn't get away," said Gerty. "How awful this murder is. I wonder who the woman can be, and how she came to be killed." "It's very strange," said Laura, who was pale but composed. "Gerty, did you tell Luther I was out last night?" "No. We were too busy talking of the crime." "Then say nothing. I should only get into trouble with Julia." CHAPTER IV THE MISSING MOTOR-CAR