"Nothing. We have been able to trace them only as far as London. They could not have been reputable physicians or they would have answered our advertisements, and so I am inclined to believe that you were right and that it was his Lordship who spread the rumours of her Ladyship's insanity." "I am sure of it," said Cyril. "Very good. Assuming, therefore, that Lady Wilmersley is sane, we will proceed to draw logical inferences from her actions." Judson paused a moment before continuing: "Now I am convinced that the only connection Prentice had with the affair was to procure some clothes for her mistress, and these had probably been sometime in the latter's possession." "H'm!" ejaculated Cyril sceptically. "I think it would have been pretty difficult to have concealed anything from that maid of hers." "Difficult, I grant you, but not impossible, my lord." "But if Prentice had no knowledge of the tragedy, why did she not return to the castle? What has become of her? Why have the police been unable to find her?" "I believe that she joined her lover and that they are together on the continent, for in Plumtree I was told that the young man had recently gone to Paris. As I am sure that she knows nothing of any importance, I thought it useless to waste time and money trying to discover their exact locality. That the police have not succeeded in finding her, I ascribe to the fact that they are looking for a young woman who left Newhaven after and not before the murder." "You think she left before?" "Yes, and I have two reasons for this supposition. First, I can discover no place where he or she, either separately or together, could have spent the night. Secondly, if they had left Newhaven the following morning or in fact at any time after the murder, they would certainly have been apprehended, as all the boats and trains were most carefully watched." "But no one knew of her disappearance till twenty-four hours later, and during that interval she could easily have got away unobserved." "No, my lord, there you are mistaken. From the moment that the police were notified that a crime had been committed, every one, especially every woman, who left Newhaven was most attentively scrutinised." "You are certain that Prentice could not have left Newhaven unnoticed, yet her Ladyship managed to do so! How do you account for that?" The detective paused a moment and looked fixedly at Cyril. "Her Ladyship had a very powerful protector, my lord," he finally said. "A protector! Who?" Again the detective did not reply immediately. "It's no use beating about the bush, my lord, I know everything." "Well then, out with it," cried Cyril impatiently. "What are you hesitating for? Have you found her Ladyship or have you not?" "I have, my lord." "You have! Then why on earth didn't you tell me at once? Where is she?" cried Cyril. There was a pause during which the detective regarded Cyril through narrowed lids.