good riddance too.
He had all the servants in the library this morning, bullying them
dreadfully."

"What did he say to you?" asked Caldew, with a smile.

"Nothing," responded the girl promptly, "except what he said early this
morning, when he stopped me in the hall here, and put his great ugly
hand under my chin, and told me he'd have a talk with me by-and-by. But
he didn't get the chance, because I was over in the village all the
morning with my mother, who's been ill. But he gave all the other girls
such a time that they haven't done talking of it yet. Gwennie Harden,
who sleeps with me, says he must have thought one of us murdered Mrs.
Heredith, and the cook was so angry with the questions he asked her that
she was going to give a month's warning on the spot, but old Tufnell
talked her over, saying that it was only done in the way of duty, no
personal reflection being intended. Tufnell begged her pardon for what
she'd had to put up with, and the cook granted it, and there the matter
ended. But they do say that Mrs. Rath--that's the housekeeper--came out
of the library looking fit to drop. But Hazel Rath didn't go into the
library, although she stayed here last night, and has been with her
mother all day. Favouritism, I call it. Why should they put all us
servants through our facings, and leave her alone?"

The mention of Hazel Rath's name recalled to Caldew's mind the
information his sister had given him about the early association between
her and Philip Heredith. But the import of that statement, and the
significance of the piece of news Milly Saker had just given him, were
not made clear to him until later. At the moment his thoughts were fixed
on the idea of testing his new theory about the open window while Miss
Heredith was absent. As he turned away, he asked the girl where Sir
Philip was.

"He's sitting with Mr. Phil," was the reply.

"I suppose there is nobody upstairs in the left wing?" he added.

"Nobody but the corpse," responded Milly, with a slight shiver. "Miss
Heredith's had her bedroom shifted. Last night she slept downstairs, but
this morning she gave orders for the white bedroom in the right wing to
be prepared for her. I reckon she wants to get as far away from it as
possible, and I don't blame her."

Caldew proceeded upstairs, and entered the death-chamber in the silent
wing. On his way back from Chidelham he had picked up a round stone,
which he now took from his pocket, intending to thr