“Oh, yes, he did talk to the bride,” said Miss Jeffries with such utter unconsciousness that McLean’s heart hardened against the renegade.

“He talked quite a while to her,” she said.

“Did you notice anything—?”

“Oh, I couldn’t hear what was said.  He was the last in line and he stayed for some time.  He said afterward that it was all right.  She was very nice to him,” said Jinny earnestly, producing every scrap of incident for McLean’s judgment.  “She showed him some of her presents—­something about her neck.”

In mid-speech McLean changed a startled “God!” to “Good!”

“She wasn’t suspicious, then?” he said weakly.

“Not as far as I could see.  Oh, nothing seemed to be wrong.  But I did feel uneasy until I got away and then, Jack hasn’t come back—­”

Again she looked at the young Scotchman for confirmation of her fear and again she saw that careful expressionless calm.

“It’s no need for alarm,” he told her slowly, “since nothing went wrong.  I see no reason why Jack couldn’t have walked out of that reception.  If we only knew where he was going later—­”

“Yes, something might have happened later,” Jinny took up.  “I thought of that.  He might have wanted some more fun and felt more reckless—­Oh, I am worried,” she confessed, her gray eyes very round and childlike.

And if anything had happened she would always blame herself, thought McLean ironically....  The unthinking deviltry of the young scoundrel!...  When he found him he’d have a few things to say!

“That’s why I came to you,” Jinny went on.  “I hesitated, for he had warned me so against telling any one, but no one else knows—­”

“And no one must know,” McLean assured her crisply.  “I daresay it’s a mare’s nest and Jack will be found safe and sound at his diggings or off on a lark with some friend or other, but it’s well to make sure and you did quite right in coming to me.”

Jinny thought she had done quite right, too.

There was a satisfying strength about McLean.  She resented a trifle his masculine way of trying to keep the dark side from her; she was not greatly misled by that untroubled look of his and yet she was unconsciously reassured by it....  And although he refused to be stampeded by alarm he was not incredulous of it, for his manner was frankly grave.

“I’ll send out at once,” he said decisively, “and see if I can pick up any gossip of that reception.  I’ve a very clever clerk with brothers in the bazaars who is a perfect wireless for information.  He has told me the night before a man was to be murdered.”

He paused, reflecting that was not a happy suggestion.

“Then I’ll send out to Jack’s diggings.  That express doesn’t stop to-night, but I’ll find a way.  And I’ll let you know as soon as I can.”

“You’re very kind,” said Jinny gratefully.

His competent manner brought her a light-hearted sensation of difficulties already solved.  Jack was as good as found, she felt in swift reaction.  If he was in any trouble this forceful young man would settle it.