“You have now an opportunity, my dear Mr. Quest,” he said, “of appreciating one feature of English life not entirely reproducible in your own wonderful country.  I mean the home life and surroundings of our aristocracy.  You see these oak trees?” he went on, with a little wave of his hand.  “They were planted by my ancestors in the days of Henry the Eighth.  I have been a student of tree life in South America and in the dense forests of Central Africa, but for real character, for splendour of growth and hardiness, there is nothing in the world to touch the Ashleigh oaks.”

“They’re some trees,” the criminologist admitted.

“You notice, perhaps, the smaller ones, which seem dwarfed.  Their tops were cut off by the Lord of Ashleigh on the day that Lady Jane Grey was beheaded.  Queen Elizabeth heard of it and threatened to confiscate the estate.  Look at the turf, my friend.  Ages have gone to the making of that mossy, velvet carpet.”

“Where’s the house?” Quest enquired.

“A mile farther on yet.  The woods part and make a natural avenue past the bend of the river there,” the Professor pointed out.  “Full of trout, that river, Quest.  How I used to whip that stream when I was a boy!”

They swept presently round a bend in the avenue.  Before them on the hill-side, surrounded by trees and with a great walled garden behind, was Hamblin House.  Quest gave vent to a little exclamation of wonder as he looked at it.  The older part and the whole of the west front was Elizabethan, but the Georgian architect entrusted with the task of building a great extension had carried out his work in a manner almost inspired.  Lines and curves, sweeping everywhere towards the same constructive purpose, had been harmonised by the hand of time into a most surprising and effectual unity.  The criminologist, notwithstanding his unemotional temperament, repeated his exclamation as he resumed his place in the carriage.

“This is where you’ve got us beaten,” he admitted.  “Our country places are like gew-gaw palaces compared to this.  Makes me kind of sorry,” he went on regretfully, “that I didn’t bring Lenora along.”

The Professor shook his head.

“You were very wise,” he said.  “My brother and Lady Ashleigh have recovered from the shock of poor Lena’s death in a marvellous manner, I believe, but the sight of the girl might have brought it back to them.  You have left her with friends, I hope, Mr. Quest?”

[Illustration:  LORD ASHLEIGH IDENTIFIES THE CAPTURED MAN AS CRAIG.]

[Illustration:  “CRAIG DISAPPEARED ABOUT HERE, SIR”—­SAID THE GAMEKEEPER.]

“She has an aunt in Hampstead,” the latter explained.  “I should have liked to have seen her safely there myself, but we should have been an hour or two later down here, and I tell you,” he went on, his voice gathering a note almost of ferocity, “I’m wanting to get my hands on that fellow Craig!  I wonder where they’re holding him.”