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the house. Hadn't you better wait until to-morrow?"
"That's all right. We'll have a look around this evening, anyway. We'd have been
here before only we lost our way. What's the best place to stay at for the night
round here?"
Mrs. Sweeny looked doubtful.
"
There's the Yorkshire Arms, but it's not much of a place for gentlemen like you."
"Oh, it will do very well. Thanks. By the way, you've not had a young lady here
asking for this key to-day?"
The woman shook her head.
"
No one's been over the place for a long time."
Thanks very much."
"
They retraced their steps to the Moat House. As the front door swung back on its
hinges, protesting loudly, Julius struck a match and examined the floor carefully.
Then he shook his head.
"I'd swear no one's passed this way. Look at the dust. Thick. Not a sign of a
footmark."
They wandered round the deserted house. Everywhere the same tale. Thick layers
of dust apparently undisturbed.
"
This gets me," said Julius. "I don't believe Tuppence was ever in this house."
She must have been."
"
Julius shook his head without replying.
We'll go over it again to-morrow," said Tommy. "Perhaps we'll see more in the
"
daylight."
On the morrow they took up the search once more, and were reluctantly forced to
the conclusion that the house had not been invaded for some considerable time.
They might have left the village altogether but for a fortunate discovery of
Tommy's. As they were retracing their steps to the gate, he gave a sudden cry,
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