discovered. But all in vain did he seek her; dead or alive, there was[Pg 79] no trace of Rosamond Arleigh to be found. It looked like magic or witchcraft. [Pg 79] He strode along the road, peering anxiously into every corner, leading the horses—quite subdued now—and leaving nothing undone in his anxious search. But all in vain; he could see nothing, hear nothing that could in any way furnish a clew to her mysterious disappearance. He would have believed her dead, that in her escape from the fast-moving vehicle she had been instantly killed; but there was no trace of her at all to be found. Slowly and thoughtfully he led the carriage over the bridge which spanned the brawling stream where the poor woman had really made her escape. His keen eyes fell upon the bank, the steep descent with its dislodged earth, and the débris which had rolled downward to the stream below. An exclamation of astonishment, of surprise and horror, passed his lips. He checked the horses, and tying them to a tree near by, began a patient search. Here was the trace of a falling body which must have rushed with great velocity down to the stream below. Gilbert Warrington’s eyes wandered to the swift, black water, and a quick solution of the mysterious disappearance crossed his mind. “So!” he muttered sharply between his teeth; “she has attempted to escape here. There is really no other place where there is any indication of such a thing having happened. It is quite likely that she fell down the bank[Pg 80] to the stream below. And, by Jove!” coming to a sudden halt as his eyes fell upon a dark object which floated upon the bosom of the brawling stream, “there is her cloak now!” [Pg 80] A swift descent; a moment later he held the dripping garment in his hand. “It is hers!” he cried. “The poor little fool has undoubtedly fallen into the water, and is drowned. Well, since I could not conquer her and make her my wife—or my slave—to do my will blindly, through fear of me, the next best thing will be to manage the daughter. I think, with my hold over Violet (she is a high-strung, honorable little creature), I may hope to handle the Arleigh fortune yet. ‘It’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good,’ and I intend to make the best of existing circumstances. There is no doubt in my mind (how could any one doubt it?) that Rosamond is drowned.
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