A more thorough search revealed little more than what Therese had seen through the window. There had clearly been an attempt to set the house on fire which had not succeeded. The fire had been lighted in the middle of the floor, had burned through into the cellar, and from some unexplained cause had gone out. There was no other sign of violence.
"Mother is killed! Mother is murdered!" exclaimed Therese. She turned pale as ashes, and would have fallen but for Doctor Campbell's supporting arm.
"Keep up, my dear; don't faint if you can possibly help it," said he. "Sit down on the ground—flat down that is the best way. Here, take this."
He poured something out of a small pocket-flask and held it to her lips. The instinct of obedience was strong with Therese. She drank, and her colour came back.
"I want you to try and keep your wits together, because you can give us the help that nobody else can," said Doctor Campbell, seeing that she was recovering. "We want you to look through the house and see what is missing, to see particularly whether any of your mother's wearing apparel is gone. Come, now, be a brave girl."
"How unfeeling Uncle Duncan is!" thought Marion.
Therese did not think so. She recognized the kindness in the doctor's tone of command, and mustered all her energies to obey. In a moment she rose to her feet and went into her mother's room, while Alick whispered something to his sister, who nodded assent:
"I'm afraid so."
"Mother's hat and shawl and her waterproof cloak are gone," said Therese, reappearing, "and some of her clothes. So is her large basket, and I can't find my French Testament or my photograph that I gave her last Christmas."
Alick and Miss Baby again exchanged glances. Therese saw the look: