"It is a' in vain, me leddy. The servants have sought everywhere, within and without the castle, and they can na find the auld bodie at a'! And your leddyship's ain footman, Jamie, ha' come fra Banff and brought the morning mail, and he has na seen onything o' his mither on the road."
"Good Heavens! but this is strange and very dreadful. Send Jim up to me at once."
The housekeeper went to obey. And Jim soon stood in the presence of his mistress.
"Any letters from America, Jim?" inquired Lady Vincent anxiously, and for a moment forgetting poor old Katie's unknown fate.
"No, my lady, not one. There was no foreign mail to-day."
"Another disappointment! Always disappointments!" sighed Claudia. And then reverting to the subject of Katie's disappearance, she said:
"What is this about your mother, Jim? When did you see her last? And have you any idea where she can be gone?"
Jim suddenly burst into tears; for we know that he loved his old mother exceedingly; and he sobbed forth the words:
"Oh, my lady, I am afeared as somebody has gone and made way with her as they did with poor Ailsie!"
"Gracious Heaven, Jim, what a horrible idea! and what an utterly irrational one. Who could possibly have any motive for harming poor old Katie?"