Pray tell me all that has
happened in connection with this event. He is very clever, and he may
strike out some plan of action that will be better than anything which
has yet been attempted."
They had passed into a small sitting-room, half ante-room, half study,
leading out of the great hall, and here the police-officer seated
himself, as much at home as if he had spent half his life within the
walls of Raynham, and listened quietly while Captain Copplestone gave a
circumstantial account of the child's disappearance, taking care not to
omit the smallest detail connected with that event.
Mr. Larkspur made occasional pencil-notes in his memorandum-book; but
he did not interrupt the captain's narration by a single remark.
When all was finished, Lady Eversleigh looked at him with anxious,
inquiring eyes, as if from his lips she expected to receive the
sentence of fate itself.
"Well?" she muttered, breathlessly, "is there any hope? Do you see any
clue?"
"Half a dozen clues," answered the police-officer, "if they're properly
handled. The first thing we've got to do is to offer a reward for that
silk coverlet that was taken away with the little girl."
"Why offer a reward for the coverlet?" asked Captain Copplestone.
"Bless your innocent heart!" answered Mr. Larkspur, contemplating the
soldier with a pitying smile; "don't you see that, if we find the
coverlet, we're pretty sure to find the child? The man who took her
away made a mistake when he carried off the coverlet with her, unless
he was deep enough to destroy it before he had taken her far.
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