Then, by dint of skilful questioning, he elucidated the fact that old Miss Heyburn lived in the tiled house further up the village, and that her niece, who lived with her, had passed along with her dog about a quarter of an hour before, and taken the footpath towards Southwick.

Ascertaining this, he was all anxiety to follow her; but, knowing how sharp are village eyes upon a stranger, he was compelled to conceal his eagerness, light another cigarette, and continue his chat.

At last, however, he wished the woman good-day, and, strolling half-way up the village, turned into a narrow lane which led across a farmyard to a footpath which ran across the fields, following a brook.  Eager to overtake the girl, he sped along as quickly as possible.

“Gabrielle Heyburn!” he ejaculated, speaking to himself.  Her name was all that escaped his lips.  A dozen times that morning he had repeated it, uttering it in a tone almost of wonder—­almost of awe.

Across several ploughed fields he went, leaving the brook, and, skirting a high hedge to the side of a small wood, he followed the well-trodden path for nearly half-an-hour, when, of a sudden, he emerged from a narrow lane between two hedgerows into a large pasture.

Before him, he saw standing together, on the brink of the river Nene, two figures—­a man and a woman.

The girl was dressed in blue serge, and wore a white woollen tam-o’-shanter, while the man had on a dark grey overcoat with a brown felt hat, and nearby, with his eye upon some sheep grazing some distance away, stood a big collie.

Hamilton started, and drew back.

The pair were standing together in earnest conversation, the man facing him, the girl with her back turned.

“What does this mean?” gasped Hamilton aloud.  “What can this secret meeting mean?  Why—­yes, I’m certainly not mistaken—­it’s Krail—­Felix Krail, by all that’s amazing!”

CHAPTER XXXI

DESCRIBES A CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE

To Hamilton it was evident that the man Krail, now smartly dressed in country tweeds, was telling the girl something which surprised her.  He was speaking quickly, making involuntary gestures which betrayed his foreign birth, while she stood pale, surprised, and yet defiant.  The Baron’s secretary was not near enough to overhear their words.  Indeed, he remained there in concealment in order to watch.

Why had Gabrielle met Felix Krail—­of all men?  She was beautiful.  Yes, there could be no two opinions upon that point, Edgar decided.  And yet how strange it all was, how very remarkable, how romantic!

The man was evidently endeavouring to impress upon the girl some plain truths to which, at first, she refused to listen.  She shrugged her shoulders impatiently and swung her walking-stick before her in an attempt to remain unconcerned.  But from where Hamilton was standing he could plainly detect her agitation.  Whatever Krail had told her had caused her much nervous anxiety.  What could it be?