And his apprehension was but too prophetic.
Miss Mowbray was not in that apartment; and, from the order in which it was found, it was plain she had neither undressed on the preceding night, nor occupied the bed.

Mowbray struck his forehead in an agony of remorse and fear.

"I have terrified her to death," he said; "she has fled into the woods, and perished there!" Under the influence of this apprehension, Mowbray, after another hasty glance around the apartment, as if to assure himself that Clara was not there, rushed again into the dressing-room, almost overturning the traveller, who, in civility, had not ventured to enter the inner apartment.

"You are as mad as a _Hamako_,"[II-11] said the traveller; "let us consult together, and I am sure I can contrive"---- "Oh, d--n your contrivance!" said Mowbray, forgetting all proposed respect in his natural impatience, aggravated by his alarm; "if you had behaved straight-forward, and like a man of common sense, this would not have happened!" "God forgive you, young man, if your reflections are unjust," said the traveller, quitting the hold he had laid upon Mowbray's coat; "and God forgive me too, if I have done wrong while endeavouring to do for the best!--But may not Miss Mowbray have gone down to the Well?
I will order my horses, and set off instantly." "Do, do," said Mowbray, recklessly; "I thank you, I thank you;" and hastily traversing the garden, as if desirous to get rid at once of his visitor and his own thoughts, he took the shortest road to a little postern-gate, which led into the extensive copsewood, through some part of which Clara had caused a walk to be cut to a little summer-house built of rough shingles, covered with creeping shrubs.
As Mowbray hastened through the garden, he met the old man by whom it was kept, a native of the south country, and an old dependent on the family.

"Have you seen my sister ?" said Mowbray, hurrying his words on each other with the eagerness of terror.
"What's your wull, St.Ronan's ?" answered the old man, at once dull of hearing, and slow of apprehension.
"Have you seen Miss Clara ?" shouted Mowbray, and muttered an oath or two at the gardener's stupidity.
"In troth have I," replied the gardener, deliberately; "what suld ail me to see Miss Clara, St.Ronan's ?" "When, and where ?" eagerly demanded the querist.
"Ou, just yestreen, after tey-time--afore ye cam hame yoursell galloping sae fast," said old Joseph.
"I am as stupid as he, to put off my time in speaking to such an old cabbage-stock!" said Mowbray, and hastened on to the postern-gate already mentioned, leading from the garden into what was usually called Miss Clara's walk.