t a dreadful old woman!" Emily exclaimed. "How did you answer her?"

"I told her, with perfect truth, that I knew nothing of Mrs. Rook's
secrets. Miss Redwood's humor took a satirical turn. 'Allow me to ask,
sir, whether your eyes were shut, when our housekeeper found herself
unexpectedly in your presence?' I referred the old lady to her brother's
opinion. 'Sir Jervis believes Mrs. Rook to be crazy,' I reminded her.
'Do you refuse to trust me, sir?' 'I have no information to give you,
madam.' She waved her skinny old hand in the direction of the door.
I made my bow, and retired. She called me back. 'Old women used to
be prophets, sir, in the bygone time,' she said. 'I will venture on a
prediction. You will be the means of depriving us of the services of
Mr. and Mrs. Rook. If you will be so good as to stay here a day or two
longer you will hear that those two people have given us notice to
quit. It will be her doing, mind--he is a mere cypher. I wish you
good-morning.' Will you believe me, when I tell you that the prophecy
was fulfilled?"

"Do you mean that they actually left the house?"

"They would certainly have left the house," Alban answered, "if Sir
Jervis had not insisted on receiving the customary month's warning. He
asserted his resolution by locking up the old husband in the pantry. His
sister's suspicions never entered his head; the housekeeper's conduct
(he said) simply proved that she was, what he had always considered
her to be, crazy. 'A capital servant, in spite of that drawback,' he
remarked; 'and you will see, I shall bring her to her senses.' The
impression produced on me was naturally of a very different kind.
While I was still uncertain how to entrap Mrs. Rook into confirming my
suspicions, she herself had saved me the trouble. She had placed her own
guilty interpretation on my appearance in the house--I had driven her
away!"

Emily remained true to her resolution not to let her curiosity embarrass
Alban again. But the unexpressed question was in her thoughts--"Of what
guilt does he suspect Mrs. Rook? And, when he first felt his suspicions,
was my father in his mind?"

Alban proceeded.

"I had only to consider next, whether I could hope to make any further
discoveries, if I continued to be Sir Jervis's guest. The object of
my journey had been gained; and I had no desire to be employed as
picture-cleaner. Miss Redwood assisted me in arriving at a decision.
I was sent for to speak to her again.