"No," she replied, "I have neither seen nor heard him."
Mr. Thornycroft came to the conclusion that Cyril had heard of the calamity, and gone out to see about it in his curiosity. He returned to the breakfast-room and said this. Sinnett, who was there, turned round and spoke.
"Mr. Cyril did not sleep at home last night, sir."
"Nonsense," responded the justice.
"He did not, sir," persisted Sinnett, in as positive a tone as she dared to use.
"Not sleep at home!" cried Mr. Thornycroft, ironically. "You must be mistaken, Sinnett. Cyril is not a night-bird," he continued, turning his fine and rather free blue eyes on the company: "he leaves late hours to his brothers."
"When Martha took up his hot water just now, and knocked, there was no reply," returned Sinnett, quietly. "So she went in, fearing he might be ill, and found the bed had not been slept in."
For Cyril, who had never willingly been guilty of loose conduct in his whole life, to sleep out from home secretly, was as remarkable a fact as the going regularly to bed at ten o'clock would have been for his brothers. Mr. Thornycroft not only felt amazement, but showed it.
"I cannot understand this at all. Richard, do you know where he can be?"
"Not in the least. I was waiting for him to come down that I might question him where he parted with Hunter."