"That's uncommon queer."
"Why so?" asked Margaret, eagerly.
"Because Mr. Dunbar, and that young gent as was with him, went away, bag and baggage, by last night's express."
Margaret Wilmot gave no utterance to either surprise or indignation. She walked quietly away, and went once more to the house of Sir Arden Westhorpe. She told him what had occurred; and her statement was written down and signed, as upon the previous day.
"Mr. Dunbar murdered my father!" she said, after this had been done; "and he's afraid to see me!"
The magistrate shook his head gravely.
"No, no, my dear," he said; "you must not say that. I cannot allow you to make such an assertion as that. Circumstantial evidence often points to an innocent person. If Mr. Dunbar had been in any way concerned in this matter, he would have made a point of seeing you, in order to set your suspicions at rest. His declining to see you is only the act of a selfish man, who has already suffered very great inconvenience from this business, and who dreads the scandal of some tragical scene."
CHAPTER XVI.
IS IT LOVE OR FEAR?
Henry Dunbar and Arthur Lovell slept at the same hotel upon the night of their journey from Winchester to London; for the banker refused to disturb his daughter by presenting himself at the house in Portland Place after midnight.
In this, at least, he showed himself a considerate father.