"You don't mean to tell me that you have not done anything to find my uncle?" she exclaimed with fiery emphasis. "You've surely had some search made?—surely!"
"We knew nothing of his disappearance until ten o'clock this morning," replied Gabriel, half-angrily.
"But—since then? Why, you've had five hours!" she said. "Has nothing been done? Haven't you even told the police?"
"Certainly not!" answered Gabriel. "It is not our policy."
Miss Fosdyke made one step to the door and flung it open.
"Then I shall!" she exclaimed. "Policy, indeed! High time I came down here, I think! Thank you, Lord Ellersdeane—and the other gentleman—for the suggestion. Now I'll go and act on it. And when I act, Mr. Chestermarke, I do it thoroughly!"
The next moment she had slammed the door, and Gabriel Chestermarke glanced at his partner.
"Annoying!" he said. "A most unpleasant young woman! I should have preferred not to tell the police until—well, at any rate, tomorrow. We really do not know to what extent we are—but then, what's the use of talking of that now? We can't prevent her going to the police-station."
"Why, really, Mr. Chestermarke," observed the Earl, "don't you think it's the best thing to do? To tell you the truth, considering that I'm concerned, I was going to do the very same thing myself."
Gabriel bowed stiffly.