"Well," said Luke, sitting down on the grass beside the children, "just listen to this. I was rolling the paths round and about the cat-house this afternoon, and whilst I was doing that someone stole Dark Queen. And I never saw no one!"
"How do you know she's gone?" said Larry.
"Well, Miss Harmer had the day off," said Luke. "She went at ten, and she came back about ten minutes ago. And as soon as she went into the cage she gave a squeal, and said Dark Queen wasn't there!"
"Gracious!" said everyone. "Did you look and see too, Luke?"
"That I did," said Luke. "But there were only the other cats. No Dark Queen."
"How do you know she went whilst you were at work on the paths nearby?" said Fatty. "She might have gone before."
"No, she didn't," said Luke. "You see, Lady Candling always visits the cages now, just before three o'clock, and she and Miss Harmer talk about the cats together. Well, Lady Candling saw the cats as usual at three o'clock, and Dark Queen was there.
"Tupping took her ladyship to the cats today. He always does when Miss Harmer is out now, and she gives him any orders to pass on to Miss Harmer. I was there when Lady Candling and Tupping were looking at the cats, and I heard Tupping say, 'There's Dark Queen at the back, your ladyship — you can see the light hairs in her tail.' So she was there, then, at three o'clock."
"And do you mean to say that since three o'clock you have been near the cages, and never left them — till Miss Harmer came back just now and found Dark Queen gone?" said Larry. Luke nodded.
"And you know what's going to be said," he muttered. "I'll be accused again. I was the only one there last time, and I was the only one there this time. But I didn't touch Dark Queen."