Having revived his sinking energies in the fruit garden,Mirabel seated himself under the shade of a tree,and reflected on the critical position in which he was placed by Francine's jealousy.
If Miss de Sor continued to be Mr.Wyvil's guest,there seemed to be no other choice before Mirabel than to leave Monksmoor--and to trust to a favorable reply to his sister's invitation for the free enjoyment of Emily's society under another roof.Try as he might,he could arrive at no more satisfactory conclusion than this.In his preoccupied state,time passed quickly.Nearly an hour had elapsed before he rose to return to the house.
Entering the hall,he was startled by a cry of terror in a woman's voice,coming from the upper regions.At the same time Mr.Wyvil,passing along the bedroom corridor after leaving the music-room,was confronted by his daughter,hurrying out of Emily's bedchamber in such a state of alarm that she could hardly speak.
"Gone!"she cried,the moment she saw her father.
Mr.Wyvil took her in his arms and tried to compose her."Who has gone?"he asked.
"Emily!Oh,papa,Emily has left us!She has heard dreadful news--she told me so herself.""What news?How did she hear it?"
"I don't know how she heard it.I went back to the drawing-room to show her my roses--""Was she alone?"
"Yes!She frightened me--she seemed quite wild.She said,'Let me be by myself;I shall have to go home.'She kissed me--and ran up to her room.Oh,I am such a fool!Anybody else would have taken care not to lose sight of her.""How long did you leave her by herself?"
"I can't say.I thought I would go and tell you.And then I got anxious about her,and knocked at her door,and looked into the room.Gone!Gone!"Mr.Wyvil rang the bell and confided Cecilia to the care of her maid.Mirabel had already joined him in the corridor.They went downstairs together and consulted with Alban.He volunteered to make immediate inquiries at the railway station.Mr.Wyvil followed him,as far as the lodge gate which opened on the highroad--while Mirabel went to a second gate,at the opposite extremity of the park.
Mr.Wyvil obtained the first news of Emily.The lodge keeper had seen her pass him,on her way out of the park,in the greatest haste.He had called after her,"Anything wrong,miss?"and had received no reply.Asked what time had elapsed since this had happened,he was too confused to be able to answer with any certainty.He knew that she had taken the road which led to the station--and he knew no more.
Mr.Wyvil and Mirabel met again at the house,and instituted an examination of the servants.No further discoveries were made.
The question which occurred to everybody was suggested by the words which Cecilia had repeated to her father.Emily had said she had "heard dreadful news"--how had that news reached her?The one postal delivery at Monksmoor was in the morning.Had any special messenger arrived,with a letter for Emily?The servants were absolutely certain that no such person had entered the house.The one remaining conclusion suggested that somebody must have communicated the evil tidings by word of mouth.But here again no evidence was to be obtained.No visitor had called during the day,and no new guests had arrived.Investigation was completely baffled.
Alban returned from the railway,with news of the fugitive.
He had reached the station,some time after the departure of the London train.The clerk at the office recognized his deion of Emily,and stated that she had taken her ticket for London.