Soon they were walking sedately down the drive, out of the gate, and up Lady Candling's drive. They passed Tupping on the way. He was cutting the hedges there. He scowled at them as they passed.
"Good afternoon, Tupping, what a beautiful day it is!" said Pip, in an imitation of his mother's politeness. "I really think we shall have a little rain before long, though, don't you? Still, the vegetable garden needs it, I'm sure!"
Tupping gave a growl, and snipped viciously at the hedge. Pip felt sure he would like to have snipped at him and Bets. He grinned and went on his way.
The two children went to the front door and rang the bell. A trim little maid came to the door and smiled at the children.
"Please, is Lady Candling in?" asked Pip.
"I think she's in the garden," said the maid. "I'll take you out to the verandah, and you can go and look for her if you like. She may be picking roses."
"Have they found the cat yet?" asked Pip as he and Bets followed the maid out to a sunny verandah.
"No," said the maid. "Miss Harmer's in a great state about her. It's a funny business, isn't it? I'm afraid it must have been Luke. After all, he was the only one near the cats between four and five o'clock."
"Didn't you hear or see anyone strange at all yesterday afternoon?" asked Pip, thinking that he might as well ask a few questions.
"Nobody," said the maid. "You see, Lady Candling had quite a tea-party yesterday — nine or ten people altogether — and Cook and I were busy all the time. We didn't go down the garden at all between four and five o'clock, we had such a lot to do. If we had slipped down, we might have seen the thief at his work. Ah! it was a good day for the thief — with Miss Harmer out, and Tupping out, and Cook and me busy, and Lady Candling up here at the house with her friends!"