Under the circumstances there was little wonder that Mr. Grindle should feel at fault, like a hound that has lost scent of his quarry, and though he did not think for a moment that the secret would be forever hidden, he confessed to being quite puzzled as to where he should look for a sign that would lead him on to the trail.
In both families there was grave consternation at the failure on the part of those interested to get news of the missing man, and naturally the one opinion was that the Count was most certainly dead, and Miss Preston was for a long time inconsolable, notwithstanding that Grindle seems to have held out hopes to her that he would ultimately restore her lover to her. But these hopes paled and died when six months having elapsed, no tale nor tidings were forthcoming. The
