"What could have happened while I was out of the room?"

"I know no more than you do, my dear. It is simply one of the
possibilities in the case, and, as such, I notice it. To get on to what
practically concerns us; if Miss Silvester is in delicate health it is
impossible that she could get, unassisted, to any great distance from
Windygates. She may have taken refuge in one of the cottages in our
immediate neighborhood. Or she may have met with some passing vehicle
from one of the farms on its way to the station, and may have asked the
person driving to give her a seat in it. Or she may have walked as far
as she can, and may have stopped to rest in some sheltered place, among
the lanes to the south of this house."

"I'll inquire at the cottages, uncle, while you are gone."

"My dear child, there must be a dozen cottages, at least, within a
circle of one mile from Windygates! Your inquiries would probably occupy
you for the whole afternoon. I won't ask what Lady Lundie would think of
your being away all that time by yourself. I will only remind you of two
things. You would be making a public matter of an investigation which
it is essential to pursue as privately as possible; and, even if you
happened to hit on the right cottage your inquiries would be completely
baffled, and you would discover nothing."

"Why not?"

"I know the Scottish peasant better than you do, Blanche. In his
intelligence and his sense of self-respect he is a very different being
from the English peasant. He would receive you civilly, because you
are a young lady; but he would let you see, at the same time, that