About ten minutes later, the bell rang for tea, and, as Virginia did notcome down, Mrs. Otis sent up one of the footmen to tell her. After alittle time he returned and said that he could not find Miss Virginiaanywhere. As she was in the habit of going out to the garden everyevening to get flowers for the dinner-table, Mrs. Otis was not at allalarmed at first, but when six o'clock struck, and Virginia did notappear, she became really agitated, and sent the boys out to look forher, while she herself and Mr. Otis searched every room in the house. Athalf-past six the boys came back and said that they could find no traceof their sister anywhere. They were all now in the greatest state ofexcitement, and did not know what to do, when Mr. Otis suddenlyremembered that, some few days before, he had given a band of gipsiespermission to camp in the park. He accordingly at once set off forBlackfell Hollow, where he knew they were, accompanied by his eldest sonand two of the farm-servants. The little Duke of Cheshire, who wasperfectly frantic with anxiety, begged hard to be allowed to go too,but Mr. Otis would not allow him, as he was afraid there might be ascuffle. On arriving at the spot, however, he found that the gipsies hadgone, and it was evident that their departure had been rather sudden, asthe fire was still burning, and some plates were lying on the grass.Having sent off Washington and the two men to scour the district, he ranhome, and despatched telegrams to all the police inspectors in thecounty, telling them to look out for a little girl who had beenkidnapped by tramps or gipsies. He then ordered his horse to be broughtround, and, after insisting on his wife and the three boys sitting downto dinner, rode off down the Ascot road with a groom. He had hardly,however, gone a couple of miles, when he heard somebody galloping afterhim, and, looking round, saw the little Duke coming up on his pony, withhis face very flushed, and no hat. "I'm awfully sorry, Mr. Otis," gaspedout the boy, "but I can't eat any dinner as long as Virginia is lost.Please don't be angry with me; if you had let us be engaged last year,there would never have been all this trouble. You won't send me back,will you? I can't go! I won't go!"

[Illustration: "HE HEARD SOMEBODY GALLOPING AFTER HIM"]

The Minister could not help smiling at the handsome young scapegrace,and was a good deal touched at his devotion to Virginia, so leaning downfrom his horse, he patted him kindly on the shoulders, and said, "Well,Cecil, if you won't go back, I suppose you must come with me, but I mustget you a hat at Ascot."

"Oh, bother my hat! I want Virginia!" cried the little Duke, laughing,and they galloped on to the railway station. There Mr. Otis inquired ofthe station-master if any one answering to the description of Virginiahad been seen on the platform, but could get no news of her. Thestation-master, however, wired up and down the line, and assured himthat a strict watch would be kept for her, and, after having bought ahat for the little Duke from a linen-draper, who was just putting up hisshutters, Mr. Otis rode off to Bexley, a village about four miles away,which he was told was a well-known haunt of the gipsies, as there was alarge common next to it. Here they roused up the rural policeman, butcould get no information from him, and, after riding all over thecommon, they turned their horses' heads homewards, and reached the Chaseabout eleven o'clock, dead-tired and almost heart-broken. They foundWashington and the twins waiting for them at the gate-house withlanterns, as the avenue was very dark. Not the slightest trace ofVirginia had been discovered. The gipsies had been caught on Brockleymeadows, but she was not with them, and they had explained their suddendeparture by saying that they had mistaken the date of Chorton Fair, andhad gone off in a hurry for fear they should be late. Indeed, they hadbeen quite distressed at hearing of Virginia's disappearance, as theywere very grateful to Mr. Otis for having allowed them to camp in hispark, and four of their number had stayed behind to help in the search.The carp-pond had been dragged, and the whole Chase thoroughly goneover, but without any result. It was evident that, for that night at anyrate, Virginia was lost to them; and it was in a state of the deepestdepression that Mr. Otis and the boys walked up to the house, the groomfollowing behind with the two horses and the pony. In the hall theyfound a group of frightened servants, and lying on a sofa in the librarywas poor Mrs. Otis, almost out of her mind with terror and anxiety, andhaving her forehead bathed with eau de cologne by the old housekeeper.Mr. Otis at once insisted on her having something to eat, and ordered upsupper for the whole party. It was a melancholy meal, as hardly any onespoke, and even the twins were awestruck and subdued, as they were veryfond of their sister. When they had finished, Mr. Otis, in spite of theentreaties of the little Duke, ordered them all to bed, saying thatnothing more could be done that night, and that he would telegraph inthe morning to Scotland Yard for some detectives to be sent downimmediately. Just as they were passing out of the dining-room, midnightbegan to boom from the clock tower, and when the last stroke soundedthey heard a crash and a sudden shrill cry; a dreadful peal of thundershook the house, a strain of unearthly music floated through the air, apanel at the top of the staircase flew back with a loud noise, and outon the landing, looking very pale and white, with a little casket in herhand, stepped Virginia. In a moment they had all rushed up to her. Mrs.Otis clasped her passionately in her arms, the Duke smothered her withviolent kisses, and the twins executed a wild war-dance round the group.

[Illustration: "OUT ON THE LANDING STEPPED VIRGINIA"]

"Good heavens! child, where have you been?" said Mr. Otis, ratherangrily, thinking that she had been playing some foolish trick on them."Cecil and I have been riding all over the country looking for you, andyour mother has been frightened to death. You must never play thesepractical jokes any more."

"Except on the Ghost! except on the Ghost!" shrieked the twins, as theycapered about.

"My own darling, thank God you are found; you must never leave my sideagain," murmured Mrs. Otis, as she kissed the trembling child, andsmoothed the tangled gold of her hair.

"Papa," said Virginia, quietly, "I have been with the Ghost. He is dead,and you must come and see him. He had been very wicked, but he wasreally sorry for all that he had done, and he gave me this box ofbeautiful jewels before he died."

The whole family gazed at her in mute amazement, but she was quite graveand serious; and, turning round, she led them through the opening in thewainscoting down a narrow secret corridor, Washington following with alighted candle, which he had caught up from the table. Finally, theycame to a great oak door, studded with rusty nails. When Virginiatouched it, it swung back on its heavy hinges, and they found themselvesin a little low room, with a vaulted ceiling, and one tiny gratedwindow. Imbedded in the wall was a huge iron ring, and chained to it wasa gaunt skeleton, that was stretched out at full length on the stonefloor, and seemed to be trying to grasp with its long fleshless fingersan old-fashioned trencher and ewer, that were placed just out of itsreach. The jug had evidently been once filled with water, as it wascovered inside with green mould. There was nothing on the trencher buta pile of dust. Virginia knelt down beside the skeleton, and, foldingher little hands together, began to pray silently, while the rest of theparty looked on in wonder at the terrible tragedy whose secret was nowdisclosed to them.

[Illustration: "CHAINED TO IT WAS A GAUNT SKELETON"]

"Hallo!" suddenly exclaimed one of the twins, who had been looking outof the window to try and discover in what wing of the house the room wassituated. "Hallo! the old withered almond-tree has blossomed. I can seethe flowers quite plainly in the moonlight."

"God has forgiven him," said Virginia, gravely, as she rose to her feet,and a beautiful light seemed to illumine her face.

"What an angel you are!" cried the young Duke, and he put his arm roundher neck, and kissed her.