CHAPTER XLVIII

All the evening Melbury had been coming to his door, saying, "I wonder where in the world that girl is! Never in all my born days did I know her bide out like this! She surely said she was going into the garden to get some parsley."

Melbury searched the garden, the parsley-bed, and the orchard, but could find no trace of her, and then he made inquiries at the cottages of such of his workmen as had not gone to bed, avoiding Tangs's because he knew the young people were to rise early to leave. In these inquiries one of the men's wives somewhat incautiously let out the fact that she had heard a scream in the wood, though from which direction she could not say.

This set Melbury's fears on end. He told the men to light lanterns, and headed by himself they started, Creedle following at the last moment with quite a burden of grapnels and ropes, which he could not be persuaded to leave behind, and the company being joined by the hollow-turner and the man who kept the cider-house as they went along.

They explored the precincts of the village, and in a short time lighted upon the man-trap. Its discovery simply added an item of fact without helping their conjectures; but Melbury's indefinite alarm was greatly increased when, holding a candle to the ground, he saw in the teeth of the instrument some frayings from Grace's clothing. No intelligence of any kind was gained till they met a woodman of Delborough, who said that he had seen a lady answering to the description her father gave of Grace, walking through the wood on a gentleman's arm in the direction of Sherton.

Now, provide a numbered list of answers to these questions:

1. Who was being looked for?
2. Who was the main person looking for her?
3. Were other folks assisting?
4. Where did they finally come across some evidence?
5. Did they meet anyone who had noticed her?
6. Where was he from?
7. Who did he see her with?
8. Where were they heading?
9. What time of day did her dad first start wondering about her whereabouts?
10. Was it usual for her to be out so late?
11. Where did he think she was?
12. How many places did he look before asking the gentlemen's spouses?
13. What place did he stay away from?
14. Why?
15. Did he come across any information?
16. From whom?
17. What did she tell him?
18. Did this make the dad feel better?
19. Who was carrying a bunch of heavy stuff?
20. Was it against his will?
1. Grace
2. Melbury
3. yes
4. the precincts of the village
5. yes
6. Delborough
7. a gentleman
8. Sheraton
9. Evening
10. no
11. the garden
12. Two
13. Tangs's
14. people were sleeping
15. yes
16. one of the men's wives
17. she had heard a scream
18. no
19. Creedle
20. no