1Dorothy had wronged her father in supposing that he was willing to let her starve to death in the street. He had, as a matter of fact, made efforts to get in touch with her, though in a roundabout and not very helpful way.
His first emotion on learning of Dorothy’s disappearance had been rage pure and simple. At about eight in the morning, when he was beginning to wonder what had become of his shaving water, Ellen had come into his bedroom and announced in a vaguely panic-stricken tone:
‘Please, Sir, Miss Dorothy ain’t in the house, Sir. I can’t find her nowhere!’
‘What?’ said the Rector.
‘She ain’t in the house, Sir! And her bed don’t look as if it hadn’t been slept in, neither. It’s my belief as she’s gorn, Sir!’
‘Gone!’ exclaimed the Rector, partly sitting up in bed. ‘What do you
