I feared that, from the first.

You exhausted all reasonable means of discovery when they went away.

To begin again after so long a time has passed is hopeless, sir--quite hopeless.' 'Why, where are they ?' he returned impatiently.

'Where can they be?
Above ground ?' 'God knows,' rejoined the locksmith, 'many that I knew above it five years ago, have their beds under the grass now.

And the world is a wide place.