“Run away? Nonsense!” exclaimed Uncle Robert. “Even Phyllis would draw the line at that.”
“It is true, nevertheless,” said the Colonel. “What are we to do? I don’t want to set all Hastings talking, yet I must make inquiries.”
“I think she will come back of her own accord,” said Uncle Robert. “She will soon have enough of it. What made her do it?”
Colonel Lane repeated what he had told Mrs. Barrimore, and Mrs. Barrimore told her brother of Philip’s sudden departure for London.
“Phyllis may have known Philip was going, if we did not,” said Mr. Burns.
“I believe they have gone together,” affirmed the Colonel. “But what was she doing on the East Hill at night? It is so lonely—dangerous even.”
Mrs. Barrimore turned her head away. Her face had become ashen. She recalled the incident of a woman’s body being picked up on the rocks below that cliff.
Mr. Burns all at once took the reins in his own hands.
“Look here, Lane. First of all, we will send guarded wires with prepaid replies to all your friends to ask if Phyllis is there. If we find she has gone to none of them, we will wire Philip at the Savage Club. If that fails, we must at once go to the police. I am sure the girl would not go to any of our Hastings acquaintances, and if we went round inquiring of them, we should only make a scandal. Don’t you worry! I’ll see to it all for you. Really, I shall scold Phyllis myself when I do find her—a thing I have never done. I am surprised at Philip! He is much to blame. He knows quite well what Phyllis is, and he did very wrong to encourage her. He has no notion of marrying her, I am certain.”
Colonel Lane stared vacantly in front of him. At last he said: