He moved off, and Elsie, looking round a moment afterward, saw that he had vanished. It was nearly dark among the trees, but she knew that she could have seen him had he kept on the road; besides, his heavy, tacketed boots would have made some noise, and she had heard nothing. Then she saw a figure coming from the lodge and her brain acted quickly, because she recognized Staffer.
Marshall had hinted it was important that his message should be kept secret; and fishermen had good sight. He must have noticed Staffer before she did, and did not want to be seen talking to her. Then she remembered that the night before Andrew started for Edinburgh was when Williamson and the man with the red mustache had entered the house. The stranger had come up the Firth in one of the salmon boats shortly before his visit to Appleyard, and had been there again without her seeing him.
She felt a thrill that was half apprehension and half excitement as she went on slowly. The lodge was about a hundred yards away when she met Staffer.
"There's something I want to ask you," he said. "Have you any reason to doubt the honesty of our servants?"
Elsie saw at once where his question led, and tried to nerve herself. He was a clever man and she was young and inexperienced.
"No," she said; "I have none; and Mother's quite satisfied with them. Why do you ask?"
"You'll remember the night Williamson arrived rather late. He lost a paper in an envelope, and it looks as if somebody in the house had picked it up."
"Have you inquired about it?" Elsie asked, remembering that it was the man with the red mustache who had dropped the envelope.
"No," Staffer said carelessly; "I didn't want to make the thing look more important than it was, and I thought the envelope might turn up."
"But it must be of some consequence, or you wouldn't bother about it now."