It was then discovered that it was snowing fast; and Mr. Coker suggested that Lilian was probably waiting for some one to fetch her. Accordingly, he went in search of his little daughter, only to find that she had left the old woman more than an hour before. With a sensation of chill dismay at his heart, Mr. Coker returned to the schoolroom, and, beckoning to Mr. Wills and a couple of men to join him outside, he hastily explained the situation to them.
"She cannot be far away," he said, "and I don't wish my wife or anyone to be needlessly alarmed, so we must try to keep the fact that she is missing a secret. Perhaps she has fallen and hurt herself."
Five minutes later a lantern had been procured, and a careful search was made all over the village Green. The falling snow had obliterated the traces of Lilian's footsteps, and no clue to her whereabouts could be discovered. Mr. Coker was in despair, when a brilliant idea struck Farmer Wills, and he exclaimed:
"I'll fetch Wolf! Never was there such a dog as that for sharpness. Many a lost sheep has he found for me before now. He'll find Miss Lilian right enough, if she's anywhere near. If I go by the pathfields, I shall soon reach Westhill, and I shall be back with Wolf in no time."
Mr. Coker and the others continued their search during the farmer's absence. To the anxious father, the minutes dragged away slowly and seemed like hours, but it was actually only little over half-an-hour later when the footsteps of a horse were heard, and Mr. Wills flung himself from the back of his mount in front of the schoolroom door.
"She's safe!" he cried joyfully. "I found her asleep by the kitchen fire at Westhill."
"At Westhill!" echoed Mr. Coker, scarcely able to believe he had heard aright.
"Yes, I never knew such a plucky little soul," Mr. Wills proceeded admiringly, and he forthwith poured the story of Lilian's adventure into his listeners' ears. "She's pretty nigh tired out," he explained; "she said she'd stay with old Jeffry, and you must please call for her on your way home. I don't think I'd mention the thieves to any one to-night, sir, or folks will be nervous."
Mr. Coker agreed that it would be wiser not to do so. He re-entered the schoolroom, and assured his wife, who had been anxiously on the look-out for him, that Lilian was safe, at the same time telling her he would explain matters later on. So the entertainment was brought to a close, without anything having happened to mar the happiness of the evening as far as Mr. Coker's visitors were concerned; and it was not until the following day that it became generally known that, but for Lilian, Westhill would have been robbed, and poor old Jeffry perhaps murdered.
After a good night's rest, Lilian was quite herself again, and went to church on Christmas morning with the others of the family from Haldon Hall.