The principal door of the castle was open, and in the doorway stood two
men.
One was Mr. Ashburne, the magistrate; the other was Christopher Dimond,
the constable of Raynham.
The sight of these two men told Captain Copplestone that his fears were
but too surely realized. Something had happened amiss--something of
importance--or Gilbert Ashburne, the magistrate, would not be there.
"The child!" gasped the captain; "is she dead--murdered?"
"No, no, not dead," answered Mr. Ashburne.
"Not dead! Thank God!" exclaimed the soldier, in a devout whisper.
"What then? What has happened?" he asked, scarcely able to command
himself so far as to utter these few words with distinctness. "For
pity's sake speak plainly. Can't you see that you are keeping me in
torture? What has happened to the child?"
"She has disappeared."
"She has disappeared!" echoed the captain. "I left strict orders that
she should not be permitted to stir beyond the castle walls. Who dared
to disobey those orders?"
"No one," answered Mr. Ashburne. "Miss Eversleigh was not allowed to
quit her own apartments. She disappeared in the night from her own cot,
while that cot was in its usual place, beside Mrs. Morden's bed."
"But who could penetrate into that room in the night, when the castle
doors are secured against every one? Where is Mrs. Morden? Let me see
her; and let every servant of the house be assembled in the great
dining-room.
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