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　　Father drew a deep breath.

　　"No," he said. "No, I suppose nobody would ask you. It‘s assimple as that."

　　He relapsed into silence again.

　　"You think something has happened to him, don’t you?" asked Miss Marple.

　　"It‘s over a week now,"said Father. "He didn’t have a stroke and fall down in the street. He‘snot in a hospital as a result of an accident. So where is he? His disappearance has beenreported in the Press, but nobody’s come forward with anyinformation yet."

　　"They may not have seen it. I didn‘t."

　　"It looks – it reallylooks" – Father was following out his own line of thought –"as though he meant to disappear. Leaving this place like that in themiddle of the night. You’re quite sure about it, aren‘t you?" he demanded sharply. "You didn’t dream it?"

　　"I am absolutely sure," said Miss Marple with finality.

　　Father heaved himself to his feet.

　　"I‘d better go and seethat chambermaid," he said.

　　Father found Rose Sheldon on duty and ran anapproving eye over her pleasant person.

　　"I’m sorry to botheryou," he said. "I know you‘ve seen our sergeant already. But it’s about thatmissing gentleman, Canon Pennyfather."

　　"Oh yes, sir, a very nice gentleman. He oftenstays here."

　　"Absent-minded," saidFather.

　　Rose Sheldon permitted a discreet smile to appear onher respectful mask of a face.

　　"Now let me see." Fatherpretended to consult some notes. "The last time you saw CanonPennyfather – was – ”

　　"On the Thursday morning, sir. Thursday the 19th.He told me that he would not be back that night and possibly not the next either. He wasgoing, I think, to Geneva. Somewhere in Switzerland, anyway. He gave me two shirts hewanted washed and I said they would be ready for him on the morning of the following day."

　　"And that‘s the lastyou saw of him, eh?"

　　"Yes, sir. You see, I’mnot on duty in the afternoons. I come back again at 6 o‘clock.By then he must have left, or at any rate he was downstairs. Not in his room. He had lefttwo suitcases behind."

　　"That’s right,"said Father. The contents of the suitcases had been examined, but hadgiven no useful lead. He went on: "Did you call him the nextmorning?"

　　"Call him? No, sir, he was away."

　　"What did you do ordinarily – take him early tea? Breakfast?"

　　"Early tea, sir. He breakfasted downstairs always."

　　"So you didn‘t go intohis room at all the next day?"

　　"Oh yes, sir." Rosesounded shocked. "I went into his room as usual. I took hisshirts in for one thing. And of course I dusted the room. We dust all the rooms everyday."

　　"Had the bed been slept in?"

　　She stared at him. "Thebed, sir? Oh no."

　　"Was it rumpled – creasedin any way?"

　　She shook her head.

　　"What about the bathroom?"

　　"There was a damp hand towel, sir, that had beenused, I presume that would be the evening before. He may have washed his hands last thingbefore going off."

"And there was nothing to show that he had comeback into the room – perhaps quite late – after midnight?"