scapegrace, and was a good deal touched at his devotion to Virginia,
so leaning down from his horse, he patted him kindly on the
shoulders, and said, 'Well, Cecil, if you won't go back I suppose
you must come with me, but I must get you a hat at Ascot.'

'Oh, bother my hat! I want Virginia!' cried the little Duke,
laughing, and they galloped on to the railway station. There Mr.
Otis inquired of the station-master if any one answering the
description of Virginia had been seen on the platform, but could get
no news of her. The station-master, however, wired up and down the
line, and assured him that a strict watch would be kept for her,
and, after having bought a hat for the little Duke from a linen-
draper, who was just putting up his shutters, Mr. Otis rode off to
Bexley, a village about four miles away, which he was told was a
well-known haunt of the gypsies, as there was a large common next to
it. Here they roused up the rural policeman, but could get no
information from him, and, after riding all over the common, they
turned their horses' heads homewards, and reached the Chase about
eleven o'clock, dead-tired and almost heart-broken. They found
Washington and the twins waiting for them at the gate-house with
lanterns, as the avenue was very dark. Not the slightest trace of
Virginia had been discovered. The gypsies had been caught on
Brockley meadows, but she was not with them, and they had explained
their sudden departure by saying that they had mistaken the date of
Chorton Fair, and had gone off in a hurry for fear they might be
late. Indeed, they had been quite distressed at hearing of
Virginia's disappearance, as they were very grateful to Mr. Otis for
having allowed them to camp in his park, and four of their number
had stayed behind to help in the search. The carp-pond had been
dragged, and the whole Chase thoroughly gone over, but without any