“Oh no, ma'am, it's not so bad as that,” replied the butler. “So far as I hear, it was the poachers that have been about Westwood Court one night and the Abbey Woods another night for the past month. It seems that Ralph Dangan, Sir Percival Hope's new keeper---him that was at the Court for so long--he came upon them suddenly last night and they shot him. The story is that the poor man was not likely to live longer than a few hours.” Agnes gave a sigh--she wondered if the butler would know that it was a sigh of relief rather than one of sympathy for the unhappy man who had been shot. “Poor fellow!” she said. “I hope his daughter has been sent for.” “I didn't hear anything in that way, ma'am,” said the butler. “If she went to Sir Percival's sister, he will know her address, but they say that poor Dangan always refused to see her, though she was a good daughter except for her one slip.” He left the room, and Agnes sat wondering how it was that she had been led to feel with such certainty that the story of the man who was shot referred to Sir Percival. And in its turn this question of hers became a terror to her, for in her condition of excitement she had lost all capacity to judge of incidents in an unprejudiced way. The condition of her brain caused her to distort every matter which she tried to consider on its merits. She waited so long without any one appearing that she had actually forgotten what was the object of her waiting, and she was surprised when her maid came into the room saying: “I cannot find Miss Tristram in the house, Miss Mowbray. I think she must have gone out for a walk by the lower gate; she could not have left by the drive without my seeing her, for I was sitting at the window of the workroom sewing.” CHAPTER XXX |It is strange that she should have gone out without letting me know,” said Agnes. “I don't think that it is likely she would leave the grounds by the lower gate. She must still be somewhere in the garden. Having fed the pigeons she might have strayed up to the Knoll.” The Knoll was the small hillock overgrown with pines from which the house took its name. “She was in her dressing-room since she fed the pigeons,” said the maid. “I fancied that I heard her leave the room, but no one appears to have noticed whether she left the house or not.” “You will please send a couple of the servants round the grounds and up to the Knoll,” said Agnes. “It is rather important that she should be found with as little delay as possible.” “I beg your pardon,” cried the maid quickly. “I did not know that you wanted Miss Tristram particularly. I understood that you were making a casual inquiry for her. Not a moment shall be lost in seeking for her.”