(a lilac
sprig). Then, as our eyes met, it occurred to me that only two mornings
before Mrs. Carkeek had worn a print gown of that same sprigged pattern.

"I had the presence of mind to hide this very small discovery, sliding
over it some quite trivial remark; and presently Mrs. Carkeek regained
her composure. But I own I felt disappointed in her. It seemed such a
paltry thing to be disingenuous over. She had deliberately acted a fib
before me; and why? Merely because she preferred the kitchen to the
pantry tap. It was childish. 'But servants are all the same,' I told
myself. 'I must take Mrs. Carkeek as she is; and, after all, she is a
treasure.'

"On the second night after this, and between eleven and twelve o'clock,
I was lying in bed and reading myself sleepy over a novel of Lord
Lytton's, when a small sound disturbed me. I listened. The sound was
clearly that of water trickling; and I set it down to rain. A shower
(I told myself) had filled the water-pipes which drained the roof.
Somehow I could not fix the sound. There was a water pipe against the
wall just outside my window. I rose and drew up the blind.

"To my astonishment no rain was falling; no rain had fallen. I felt the
slate window-sill; some dew had gathered there--no more. There was no
wind, no cloud: only a still moon high over the eastern slope of the
coombe, the distant plash of waves, and the fragrance of many roses.
I went back to bed and listened again. Yes, the trickling sound
continued, quite distinct in the silence of the house, not to be
confused for a moment with the dull murmur of the beach. After a while
it began to grate on my nerves. I caught up my candle, flung my
dressing-gown about me, and stole softly downstairs.

"Then it was simple. I traced the sound to the pantry. 'Mrs. Carkeek
has left the tap running,' said I: and, sure enough, I found it so--a
thin trickle steadily running to waste in the porcelain basin. I turned
off the tap, went contentedly back to my bed, and slept.

"--for some hours. I opened my eyes in darkness, and at once knew what
had awakened me. The tap was running again. Now it had shut easily in
my hand, but not so easily that I could believe it had slipped open
again of its own accord. 'This is Mrs. Carkeek's doing,' said I; and am
afraid I added 'Bother Mrs. Carkeek!'

"Well, there was no help for it: so I struck a light, looked at my
watch, saw that the hour was just three o'clock