CHAPTER XXV.
Philippa, unusually early on the following morning, glanced at the empty breakfast table with a little air of disappointment, and rang the bell.
"Mills," she enquired, "is no one down ?" "Sir Henry is, I believe, on the beach, your ladyship," the man answered, "and Miss Helen and Miss Nora are with him." "And Mr.Lessingham ?" "Mr.Lessingham, your ladyship," Mills continued, looking carefully behind him as though to be sure that the door was closed, "has disappeared." "Disappeared ?" Philippa repeated.

"What do you mean, Mills ?" "I left Mr.Lessingham last night, your ladyship," Mills explained, "in a suit of the master's clothes and apparently preparing for bed--I should say this morning, as it was probably about two o'clock.

I called him at half past eight, as desired, and found the room empty.

The bed had not been slept in." "Was there no note or message ?" Philippa asked incredulously.
"Nothing, your ladyship.

One of the maid servants believes that she heard the front door open at five o'clock this morning." "Ring up the hotel," Philippa instructed, "and see if he is there." Mills departed to execute his commission.