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with a message from the nursery。
It was tea…time； and； as usual； Jicks was missing。 She was searched for；
first in the lower regions of the house； secondly in the garden。 Not a
trace of her was to be discovered in either quarter。 Nobody was surprised
or alarmed。 We said； 〃Oh； dear； she has gone to Browndown again！〃and
immersed ourselves once more in the shabby recesses of Mrs。 Finch's
wardrobe。
I had just decided that the blue merino jacket was an article of wearing
apparel which had done its duty； and earned its right to final retirement
from the scenewhen a plaintive cry reached my ear； through the open
door which led into the back garden。
I stopped； and looked at Mrs。 Finch。
The cry was repeated； louder and nearer： recognizable this time as a cry
in a child's voice。 The door of the room had been left ajar； when we sent
the messenger back to the nursery。 I threw it open； and found myself face
to face with Jicks in the passage。
I felt every nerve in my body shudder at the sight of the child。
The poor little thing was white and wild with terror。 She was incapable
of uttering a word。 When I knelt down to fondle and soothe her； she
caught convulsively at my hand； and attempted to raise me。 I got on my
feet again。 She repeated her dumb cry more loudlyand tried to drag me
out of the house。 She was so weak that she staggered under the effort。 I
took her up in my arms。 One of my hands； as I embraced her； touched the
top of her frock； just below the back of her neck。 I felt something on my
fingers。 I looked at them。 Gracious God！ I was stained with blood！
I turned the child round。 My own blood froze。 Her mother； standing behind
me； screamed with horror。
The dear little thing's white frock was spotted and splashed with wet
blood。 Not her own blood。 There was not a scratch on her。 I looked closer
at the horrid marks。 They had been drawn purposely on herdrawn； as it
seemed； with a finger。 I took her out into the light。 It was writing！ A
word had been feebly traced on the back of her frock。 I made out
something like the letter 〃H。〃 Then a letter which it was impossible to
read。
Then another next to it； which might have been 〃L；〃 or might have been
〃J。〃 Then a last letter； which I guessed to be 〃P。〃
Was the word〃Help〃？
Yes！traced on the back of the child's frock； with a finger dipped in
blood〃HELP。〃
CHAPTER THE FOURTEENTH
Discoveries at Browndown
IT is needless to tell you at what conclusion I arrived； as soon as I was
sufficiently myself to think at all。
Thanks to my adventurous past life； I have got the habit of deciding
quickly in serious emergencies of all sorts。 In the present emergencyas
I saw itthere were two things to be done。 One； to go instantly with
help to Browndown： the other； to keep the knowledge of what had happened
from Lucilla until I could get back again； and prepare her for the
discovery。
I looked at Mrs。 Finch。 She had dropped helplessly into a chair。 〃Rouse
yourself！〃 I saidand shook her。 It was no time for sympathizing with
swoons and hysterics。 The child was still in my arms； fast yielding； poor
little thing； to the exhaustion of fatigue and terror。 I could do nothing
until I had relieved myself of the charge of her。 Mrs。 Finch looked up at
me； trembling and sobbing。 I put the child in her lap。 Jicks feebly
resisted being parted from me； but soon gave up； and dropped her weary
little head on her mother's bosom。 〃Can you take off her frock？〃 I asked；
with another shakea good one； this time。 The prospect of a domestic
occupation （of any sort） appeared to rouse Mrs。 Finch。 She looked at the
baby； in its cradle in one corner of the room； and at the novel； reposing
on a chair in another corner of the room。 The presence of these two
familiar objects appeared to encourage her。 She shivered； she swallowed a
sob； she recovered her breath； she began to undo the frock。
〃Put it away carefully；〃 I said； 〃and say nothing to anybody of what has
happened； until I come back。 You can see for yourself that the child is
not hurt。 Soothe her； and wait here。 Is Mr。 Finch in the study？〃
Mrs。 Finch swallowed another sob； and said； 〃Yes。〃 The child made a last
effort。 〃Jicks will go with you；〃 said the indomitable little Arab
faintly。 I ran out of the room； and left the three babiesbig； little；
and leasttogether。
After knocking at the study door without getting any reply； I opened it
and went in。 Reverend Finch； comfortably prostrate in a large arm…chair
（with his sermon…paper spread out in fair white sheets by his side）；
started up； and confronted me in the character of a clergyman that moment
awakened from a sound sleep。
The rector of Dimchurch instantly recovered his dignity。
〃I beg your pardon； Madame Pratolungo； I was deep in thought。 Please
state your business briefly。〃 Saying those words； he waved his hand
magnificently over his empty sheets of paper； and added in his deepest
bass： 〃Sermon…day。〃
I told him in the plainest words what I had seen on his child's frock；
and what I feared had happened at Browndown。 He turned deadly pale。 If I
ever yet set my two eyes on a man thoroughly frightened； Reverend Finch
was that man。
〃Do you anticipate danger？〃 he inquired。 〃Is it your opinion that
criminal persons are in； or near； the house？〃
〃It is my opinion that there is not a moment to be lost；〃 I answered。 〃We
must go to Browndown； and we must get what help we can on the way。〃
I opened the door； and waited for him to come out with me。 Mr。 Finch
（still apparently pre…occupied with the question of the criminal persons）
looked as if he wished himself a hundred miles from his own rectory at
that particular moment。 But he was the master of the house； he was the
principal man in the placehe had no other alternative； as matters now
stood； than to take his hat and go。
We went out together into the village。 My reverend companion was silent
for the first time in my limited experience of him。 We inquired for the
one policeman who patrolled the district。 He was away on his rounds。 We
asked if anybody had seen the doctor。 No： it was not the doctor's day for
visiting Dimchurch。 I had heard the landlord of the Gross Hands described
as a capable and respectable man； and I suggested stopping at the inn；
and taking him with us。 Mr。 Finch instantly brightened at that proposal。
His sense of his own importance rose again； like the mercury in a
thermometer when you put it into a warm bath。
〃Exactly what I was about to suggest；〃 he said。 〃Gootheridge of the Gross
Hands is a very worthy personfor his station in life。 Let us have
Gootheridge； by all means。 Don't be alarmed； Madame Pratolungo。 We are
all in the hands of Providence。 It is most fortunate for you that I was
at home。 What would you have done without me？ Now don't； pray don't； be
alarmed。 In case of criminal personsI have my stick； as you see。 I am
not tall； but I possess immense physical strength。 I am； so to speak； all
muscle。 Feel！〃
He held out one of his wizen little arms。 It was about half the size of
my arm。 If I had not been far too anxious to think of playing tricks； I
should certainly have declared that it was needless； with such a tower of
strength by my side； to disturb the landlord。 I dare not assert that Mr。
Finch actually detected the turn my thoughts were takingI can only
declare that he did certainly shout for Gootheridge in a violent hurry；
the moment we were in sight of the inn。
The landlord came out； and； hearing what our errand was； instantly
consented to join us。
〃Take your gun；〃 said Mr。 Finch。
Gootheridge took his gun。 We hastened on to the house。
〃Were Mrs。 Gootheridge or your daughter at Browndown today？〃 I asked。
〃Yes； ma'amthey were both at Browndown。 They finished up their work as
usualand left the house more than an hour since。〃
〃Did anything out of the common happen while they were there？〃
〃Nothing that I heard of； ma'am。〃
I considered with myself for a minute； and ventured on putting a few more
questions to Mr。 Gootheridge。
〃Have any strangers been seen here this evening？〃 I inquired。
〃Yes； ma'am。 Nearly an hour ago two strangers drove by my house in a
chaise。〃
〃In what direction？〃
〃Coming from Brighton way； and going towards Browndown。〃
〃Did you notice the men？〃
〃Not particularly； ma'am。 I was busy。 at the time。〃
A sickening suspicion that the two strangers in the chaise might be the
two men whom I had seen lurking under the wall； forced its way into my
mind。 I said no more until we reached the house。
All was quiet。 The one sign of anything unusual was in the plain traces
of the passage of wheels over the turf in front of Browndown。 The
landlord was the first to see them。 〃The chaise must have stopped at the
house； sir；〃 he said； addressing himself to the rector。
Reverend Finch was suffering under a second suspension of speech。 All he
could say as we approached the door of the silent and solitary
buildingand he said that with extreme difficultywas； 〃Pray let us be
careful！〃
The landlord was the first to reach the door。 I was behind him。 The
rectorat some little distanceacted as rear…guard； with the South
Downs behind him to retreat upon。 Gootherid