Mr. Muller smiled, and then he said,—
“I wish very much to see Mr. Berkeley, but, from what you tell me, there must be other people who wish to see him even more than I do. I imagine it will be of no use for me to go over to his place just now.”
“It might be of a great deal of use,” said Chap, “especially if you would see the lawyers and Mr. Welford, and tell them a part, at least, of what you know.”
Mr. Muller laughed and shook his head.
“I shan’t open my business before any of those people,” he said. “You will understand when all is revealed. But I expect to be in this part of the country for some time, and if I get on Mr. Berkeley’s track I’ll help to find him.”
“That would be capital,” cried Chap. “You must be good at that sort of thing.”
“Oh, splendid!” said Mr. Muller.
“And if you should find him,” said Chap, “don’t forget to tell him all about the mortgage affair; and let him know that if he doesn’t hurry home he might as well stay away altogether, for everything he has will be sold. And now I must get on. I’ve been here too long.”
Bidding Mr. Muller a hasty good-by, Chap mounted Kit and rode rapidly away. A short distance above this barn-yard the road turned to the right towards the main road, which it joined about half a mile away; but it also branched just here a little to the left, and Chap, who was riding very fast, and whose mind was full of the interview with the man with the black straw hat, did not notice the right-hand turn, but kept on the branch-road to the left, which led down into a wide valley and joined the main road at last three miles farther on. Chap made no more stops for information, and when, after a hard gallop, he reached the junction with the main road, he thought it was the point at which he had agreed to meet Phil, although it was in reality several miles beyond.
Phil, on his road, heard nothing of any solitary traveller, and he became convinced that unless Chap had found some clue, the sooner they retraced their steps and tried some other track the better.