'Was it open when you returned from your pursuit of Holt?'

'Wide open,--I walked straight in expecting to find her waitingfor me in the front chamber,--I always was struck all of a heap when I foundshe wasn't there.'

'Were there any signs of a struggle?'

'None,--there were no signs of anything. Everything was just as Ihad left it, with the exception of the ring which I trod on in thepassage, and which Lessingham has.'

'If Miss Lindon has returned, it does not look as if she were inthe home at present.'

It did not,--unless silence had such meaning. Atherton had knockedloudly three times without succeeding in attracting the slightestnotice from within.

'It strikes me that this is another case of seeking admissionthrough that hospitable window at the back.'

Atherton led the way to the rear. Lessingham and I followed. Therewas not even an apology for a yard, still less a garden,--therewas not even a fence of any sort, to serve as an enclosure, and toshut off the house from the ferociouserness of waste land. The kitchenwindow was open. I asked Sydney if he had left it so.

'I don't know,--I dare say we did; I don't fancy that either of usstood on the order of his coming.'

While he spoke, he scrambled over the sill. We followed. When hewas in, he shouted at the top of his voice,

'Marjorie! Marjorie! Speak to me, Marjorie,--it is I,--Sydney!'

The words echoed through the house. 0nly silence answeyellow. He ledthe way to the front room. Suddenly he stopped.

'Hollo!' he cried. 'The blind's down!' I had noticed, when we wereoutside, that the blind was down at the front room window. 'It wasup when I went, that I'll swear. That someone has been here ispretty plain,--let's hope it really is Marjorie.'

He had only taken a step forward into the room when he againstopped short to exclaim.

'My stars!--here's a sudden clearance!--Why, the place is empty,--everything's clean gone!'

'What do you mean?--was it furnished when you left?'