“You haven’t seen Lilian?” she began.

“Seen her?”

“She has gone—­left the cottage—­I can’t find her.”

“Gone?  When did she go?”

“I have bad news for you.  Northway has come back; he called at the cottage about seven o’clock.  I didn’t let him know Lilian was there, and soon got rid of him; he said he would have to see you again.  Lilian was dreadfully agitated, and when I happened to leave the room, she went out—­disappeared—­I thought she must have come home “——­

“What do the servants say?”

“They haven’t seen her.”

“But she may have gone to Mary’s?”

Arrested in the full flow of his jubilant spirits by this extraordinary announcement, Denzil could not admit grave alarm.  If Lilian had fled from the proximity of her pursuer, she must of course have taken refuge with some friend.

“Let us go to the Liversedges’,” he exclaimed.  “I have a cab”——­

“Stop, Mr. Quarrier.—­I haven’t told you the worst.  She ran from the house just as she was, without her hat”——­

“What do you mean?  Why should she——?”

“She was in a dreadful state.  I had done my best to soothe her.  I was just going to send for you.  My servant saw her run out from the sitting-room into the garden, and the gate wasn’t opened—­she must have gone the back way—­into the fields.”

“Into the fields——?”

He stared at her with a look of gathering horror, and his tongue failed him.

“I followed that way.  I searched everywhere.  I went a long way over towards”——­

She broke off, quivering from head to foot.

“But she must have gone somewhere for refuge—­to some one’s house.”

“I hope so!  Oh, I hope so!”

Her voice choked; tears started from her eyes.

“What do you fear?  Tell me at once, plainly!”

She caught his hand, and replied with sobs of anguish.

“Why should she have gone into the fields?—­without anything on her head—­into the fields that lead over to”——­

“To—­you don’t mean to—­the water?”

Still clinging to his hand, she sobbed, tried to utter words of denial, then again of fear.  For the instant Denzil was paralyzed, but rapidly he released himself, and in a voice of command bade her follow.  They entered the cab and were driven towards the Town Hall.

“Did you go to the water,” he asked, “and look about there?”

“Yes,” she answered, “I did.—­I could see nothing.”

As they drew near, a roar of triumphant voices became audible; presently they were in the midst of the clamour, and with difficulty their vehicle made its way through a shouting multitude.  It stopped at length by the public building, and Quarrier alighted.  At once he was recognized.  There rose yells of “Quarrier for ever!” Men pressed upon him, wanted to shake hands with him, bellowed congratulations in his ear.  Heedless, he rushed on, and was fortunate enough to find very quickly the man he sought, his brother-in-law.