"I think—that we had better call the servants up, one at a time, and put them separately through a strict examination," answered the duke.
Lady Belgrade rang the bell.
A footman appeared in answer to it.
"Examine him first, your grace," said the lady.
The duke put the young man through a strict catechism, without satisfactory results. John was the hall footman, whose business it was to answer the street-door bell and announce visitors. And he assured his grace that no one had entered or left the house that morning, to his knowledge, except the wedding party and their attendants.
The hall-porter was next summoned and examined, and his report was found to correspond exactly to that of the footman.
The butler was sent for and questioned, but could throw no light on the mystery of the lady's disappearance.
The pantry footman was next called up. His duty was to wait on the butler and attend the servants' door, to take in provisions delivered there. And the first plausible clue to the mystery of Salome's disappearance was received from him.
"Yes, my lady," he said, "there have been a stranger to the servants' door this morning—an elderly old widow woman, my lady, dressed in black, and werry much in earnest about seeing her grace; would take no denial, my lady, on no account; which compelled me to go to her grace's lady's-maid, Miss Watson, my lady, and send a message to her grace," said the young footman.
"Did the duchess see this strange visitor?" inquired the duke.