“Quite,” he replied, and after a pause he added, in a singularly easy manner, “Tell me what happened after I disappeared.”
She did not seem to like the task.
“Well—we searched—oh! Christian, it was horrid!”
“I wondered,” he said, in a deep, soft voice, “whether you would find it so.”
“Yes, of course, we all did.”
This did not appear to satisfy him.
“But you,” he persisted, “you, yourself—what did you think?”
“I do not know,” she answered, with painful hesitation. “I don't think I thought at all.”
“Then what did you do, Hilda?”
“I—oh, we searched. We telegraphed for Mr. Bodery, who came down at once. Then Fred rode over, and placed himself at Mr. Bodery's disposal. First he went to Paris, then to Brest. He did everything that could be done, but of course it was of no avail. By Mr. Bodery's advice everything was kept secret. There was nothing in the newspapers.”