“Disaster,” he answered in a low, hoarse voice. “Her Highness has mysteriously disappeared!”
“Disappeared!” I gasped, halting and staring at him. “How? With whom?”
“How can we tell?” he asked, with a gesture of despair.
“Explain,” I urged. “Tell me quickly. How did it happen?”
Together we walked slowly out of the station-yard down in the direction of King’s Road, when he said:
“Well, the facts are briefly these. Last Monday—that is five days ago—Her Highness and Miss West had been over to Eastbourne by train to see an old schoolfellow of the Grand Duchess’s, a certain Miss Finlay—with whom I have since had an interview. They lunched at Mrs Finlay’s house—one of those new ones on the road to Beachy Head—and left, together with Miss Finlay, to walk back to the station at half-past seven o’clock. Her Highness would not drive, but preferred to walk along the Promenade and up Terminus Road. When close to the station, Dmitri—who accompanied them—says that Her Highness stopped suddenly before a fancy needlework shop, while the other two went on. The Grand Duchess, before entering the shop, motioned to Dmitri to walk along to the station, for his surveillance, as you know, always irritated her. Dmitri, therefore, strolled on—and—well, that was the last seen of her Highness!”
“Impossible!” I gasped.
“I have made every effort to trace her, but without avail,” declared Hartwig in despair. “It appears that she purchased some coloured silks for embroidery, paid for them, and then went out quite calmly. The girl who served her recollects her customer being met upon the threshold by a man who raised his hat in greeting and spoke to her. But she could not see his face, nor could she, in the dusk, discern whether he were young or old. The young lady seemed to be pleased to meet him, and, very curiously, it struck her at the time that that meeting had been prearranged.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because she says that the young lady, while making her purchase, glanced anxiously at her gold wristlet-watch once or twice.”