第134章

THEservant，appearingthenextmorninginAnne’sroomwiththebreakfasttray，closedthedoorwithanairofmystery，andannouncedthatstrangethingsweregoingoninthehouse。

“Didyouhearnothinglastnight，ma’am，“sheasked，“downstairsinthepassage？“

“IthoughtIheardsomevoiceswhisperingoutsidemyroom，“Annereplied。“Hasanythinghappened？“

Extricatedfromtheconfusioninwhichsheinvolvedit，thegirl’snarrativeamountedinsubstancetothis。Shehadbeenstartledbythesuddenappearanceofhermistressinthepassage，staringaboutherwildly，likeawomanwhohadgoneoutofhersenses。Almostatthesamemoment“themaster“hadflungopenthedrawing-roomdoor。HehadcaughtMrs。Dethridgebythearm，haddraggedherintotheroom，andhadclosedthedooragain。Afterthetwohadremainedshutuptogetherformorethanhalfanhour，Mrs。Dethridgehadcomeout，aspaleasashes，andhadgoneupstairstremblinglikeapersoningreatterror。Sometimelater，whentheservantwasinbed，butnotasleep，shehadseenalightunderherdoor，inthenarrowwoodenpassagewhichseparatedAnne’sbedroomfromHester’sbedroom，andbywhichsheobtainedaccesstoherownlittlesleeping-chamberbeyond。Shehadgotoutofbed；hadlookedthroughthekeyhole；andhadseen“themaster“

andMrs。Dethridgestandingtogetherexaminingthewallsofthepassage。“Themaster“hadlaidhishanduponthewall，onthesideofhiswife’sroom，andhadlookedatMrs。Dethridge。AndMrs。Dethridgehadlookedbackathim，andhadshakenherhead。

Uponthathehadsaidinawhisper(stillwithhishandonthewoodenwall)，“Nottobedonehere？“AndMrs。Dethridgehadshakenherhead。Hehadconsideredamoment，andhadwhisperedagain，“Theotherroomwilldo!won’tit？“AndMrs。Dethridgehadnoddedherhead——andsotheyhadparted。Thatwasthestoryofthenight。Earlyinthemorning，morestrangethingshadhappened。Themasterhadgoneout，withalargesealedpacketinhishand，coveredwithmanystamps；takinghisownlettertothepost，insteadofsendingtheservantwithitasusual。Onhisreturn，Mrs。Dethridgehadgoneoutnext，andhadcomebackwithsomethinginajarwhichshehadlockedupinherownsitting-room。Shortlyafterward，aworking-manhadbroughtabundleoflaths，andsomemortarandplasterofParis，whichhadbeencarefullyplacedtogetherinacornerofthescullery。Last，andmostremarkableintheseriesofdomesticevents，thegirlhadreceivedpermissiontogohomeandseeherfriendsinthecountry，onthatveryday；havingbeenpreviouslyinformed，whensheenteredMrs。Dethridge’sservice，thatshewasnottoexpecttohaveaholidaygrantedtoheruntilafterChristmas。Suchwerethestrangethingswhichhadhappenedinthehousesincethepreviousnight。Whatwastheinterpretationtobeplacedonthem？

Therightinterpretationwasnoteasytodiscover。

Someoftheeventspointedapparentlytowardcomingrepairsoralterationsinthecottage。ButwhatGeoffreycouldhavetodowiththem(beingatthetimeservedwithanoticetoquit)，andwhyHesterDethridgeshouldhaveshowntheviolentagitationwhichhadbeendescribed，weremysterieswhichitwasimpossibletopenetrate。

Annedismissedthegirlwithalittlepresentandafewkindwords。Underothercircumstances，theincomprehensibleproceedingsinthehousemighthavemadeherseriouslyuneasy。

Buthermindwasnowoccupiedbymorepressinganxieties。

Blanche’ssecondletter(receivedfromHesterDethridgeonthepreviousevening)informedherthatSirPatrickpersistedinhisresolution，andthatheandhisniecemightbeexpected，comewhatmightofit，topresentthe