The dialogue was interrupted at this point by Victoria. She came up across the grass from the barn to the steps at the end of the piazza. There she paused.
“Peter,” said she, “have you seen Dave lately?”
“No, I haven’t seen him since—oh, I can’t think when it was.”
“Try and remember. I want to know particularly.”
“I guess it was before dinner. I saw him go across the garden towards the Ashmont road. I wondered where he was going.”
“I’m going around to the kitchen for a minute,” said Victoria, “and then I’ll come back.”
She was absent for five or ten minutes. When she returned, it was with a very grave face.
“Peter,” she said, “I’m very much afraid Dave has run away.”
“Vic! What do you mean?”
“Blanch says he hasn’t been in the kitchen since breakfast time. After the detective was here she saw him come out of the barn in very old clothes, and she thought he was going out to the farthest field to work. He went over in that direction.”