He went to the police-station and made a statement of the case. He was
gratified by the impression which the evidence against Norah seemed
to make. The men all agreed in his opinion, and steps were to be
immediately taken to find out where she was. Most probably, as they
suggested, she had gone at once to the man, who, to all appearance,
was her lover. When Mr Chadwick asked how they would find her out,
they smiled, shook their heads, and spoke of mysterious but infallible
ways and means. He returned to his nephew's house with a very
comfortable opinion of his own sagacity. He was met by his wife with a
penitent face.

'Oh, master, I've found my brooch! It was just sticking by its pin in
the flounce of my brown silk, that I wore yesterday. I took it off in
a hurry, and it must have caught in it; and I hung up my gown in
the closet. Just now, when I was going to fold it up, there was the
brooch! I am very vexed, but I never dreamt but what it was lost!'

Her husband, muttering something very like 'Confound thee and thy
brooch too! I wish I'd never given it thee,' snatched up his hat, and
rushed back to the station, hoping to be in time to stop the police
from searching for Norah. But a detective was already gone off on the
errand.

Where was Norah? Half mad with the strain of the fearful secret, she
had hardly slept through the night for thinking what must be done.
Upon this terrible state of mind had come Ailsie's questions, showing
that she had seen the Man, as the unconscious child called her father.
Lastly came the suspicion of her honesty. She was little less than
crazy as she ran upstairs and dashed on her bonnet and shawl; leaving
all else, even her purse, behind her. In that house she would not