"I hope she's not come a cropper down one of these confounded hills." He voiced the restless feeling of suspense which was beginning to pervade the whole party.
"What time did she start, Kit ?" he went on.
"About five o'clock, I should think, or soon after." "Then she'd have had loads of time to get back by now." The general tension took the form of a sudden silence.

Then Peter Mallory spoke, very quietly: "She didn't propose going up to the castle, did she ?" In spite of its quietness his voice had a certain clipped sound that drove home the significance of his question.
"Yes, she did." Kitty tried to reassure herself.

"But she's as surefooted as a deer.

We all went up the other day and Nan was by far the best climber amongst us." Almost simultaneously Peter and Barry were on their feet.
"Something may have happened, all the same," said Barry with concern.
"She might have sprained her ankle--or--or anything." He turned to the servant nearest him.
"Tell Atkinson to get the car round and to be quick about it." "Very good, sir." And the man disappeared on his errand.
In a moment the thought that a possible accident might have befallen Nan broke up the party.

Kitty and Penelope hurried off in quest of rugs and sandwiches and brandy--anything that might be of service, while the men drew together, conversing in low voices while they waited for the car.
"You'll find her, Barry ?" St.John's voice shook a little.