The main
thing is to relieve Miss Mallathorpe of anxiety. Now!" he went on, as
they hastily left the carriage and transferred themselves to a car
quickly scented by Eldrick as the most promising of the lot. "Tell the
driver to go as fast as he can--the other car's not very far in
front--tell him to catch it up."
Eldrick leaned over and gave his orders.
"I've told him not only to catch him up, but to get in front of 'em," he
said, settling down again in his seat. "This is a better car than
theirs, and we shall be there first. Now, Miss Mallathorpe, don't you
bother--this is probably going to be the clearing-up point of
everything. One feels certain, at any rate--Pratt has reached the end of
his tether!"
"If I seem to bother," replied Nesta, "it's because I know that he and
Esther Mawson are at Normandale--working mischief."
"We shall be there in half an hour," said Collingwood, as their own car
ran past that in which the detectives and Byner were seated. "They can't
do much mischief in that time."
None of the three spoke again until the car pulled up suddenly at the
gates of Normandale Park. The lodge-keeper, an old man, coming out to
open them, approached the door of the car on seeing Nesta within.
"There's a young woman just gone up to the house that wants to see you
very particular, miss," he said. "I tell'd her that you'd gone to
Barford, but she said she'd come a long way, and she'd wait till you
come back.
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