“Oh, but this is ridiculous!  The duchess is in some of the rooms; she must be!  Go and renew your search, and tell her grace, when you find her, that she has made the duke miss the tidal train; but that we are waiting for her here,” commanded the lady.

The girl went, very submissively, on her errand.

Lady Belgrade dropped wearily into her chair, muttering: 

“I do think servants are so idiotic.  They can’t find her because she happens to be out of her own room.  I would go and hunt her up myself, but really the fatigue of this day has been too much for me.”

The Duke of Hereward did not reply.  He walked restlessly up and down the floor, filled with a vague uneasiness, for which he could not account to himself—­for surely, he reflected, Salome must be in the house somewhere; it could not possibly be otherwise; and there were a dozen simple reasons why she might be missed for a few minutes; doubtless she would soon appear, and smile at their impatience.

Ay, but the minutes were fast growing into hours, and Salome did not re-appear.

The maid returned once more from her fruitless search.

“Indeed, I beg your pardon, my lady; but we cannot find her grace, either in the house or in the garden,” she said, with a very solemn courtesy.

“Now this is really beyond endurance!  I suppose I must go and look for her myself,” answered Lady Belgrade, rising in displeasure.

“Will you let me accompany your ladyship?” gravely inquired the duke.

Lady Belgrade hesitated for a few moments, and then said: 

“Well,—­yes, you may come.  We will go down stairs first.”

They descended to the first floor, and went through the dining-room, sitting-room, library and little parlors; but without finding her they sought.

Then they ascended to the next floor and went through the picture-gallery, the music-room, the dancing-saloon, the hall, and lastly, the three drawing-rooms, in case that she might have returned there while they were absent.  But their search was still without success.

Then they ascended to the upper floors, and looked all through the handsome suites of private apartments, but still without discovering a trace of the missing bride.

And so all over the house, from basement to attic, and from central hall to garden wall, they went searching in vain for the lost one.

The dowager and the duke returned to the drawing-room and looked each other in the face.

The dowager was stupefied with bewilderment.  The duke was pale with anxiety.

The mystery was growing serious and alarming.

“What do you think of it, Lady Belgrade?” inquired the duke.

“I cannot think at all.  I am at my wit’s end,” answered the lady.  “What do you think?” she inquired, after a moment’s pause.

“I think—­that we had better call the servants up, one at a time, and put them separately through a strict examination,” answered the duke.