'Arcy, myself, and Mrs. Titwing, the
servants were the only occupants of the place. I turned away, and
walked silently through the little wicket into what is called the
home close. As I pondered over the incident, I recalled certain
things which singly had produced no effect on my mind, but which now
fitted in with each other, and seemed to open up vistas of mystery
and suspicion. Mysterious looks and gestures on the faces of the
servants pointed to there being some secret that was to be kept from
me. I had not given much heed to these things, but now I could not
help connecting them with the appearance of the tall woman in the
garden.

'Some guests arrived next day, and when I pleaded headache Mr. D'Arcy
said, "Perhaps you would rather keep to your own room to-day."

'I told him I should, and I spent the day alone--spent it mainly in
thinking about the tall woman. In the evening I went into the garden,
and remained there for a long time, but no tall woman made her
appearance.

'I passed out through the wicket into the home close, and as I walked
about in the grass, under the elms that sprang up from the tall
hedge, I thought and thought over what I had seen, but could come to
no explanation. I was standing under a tree, in the shadow which its
branches made, when I became suddenly conscious that the tall woman
was close to me. I turned round, and stood face to face with Sinfi
Lovell. The sight of a spectre could not have startled me more, but
the effect of my appearance upon her was greater still. Her face took
an expression that seemed to curdle my blood, and she shrieked,
"Father! the curse! Let his children be vagabonds and beg their
bread; let them seek it also out of desolate places." And then she
ran towards the house.

'In a few minutes Mr. D'Arcy came out into the field without his hat,
and evidently much agitated.

'"Miss Wynne," he said, "I fear you must have been half frightened to
death. Never was there such an unlucky _contretemps_."

'"But why is Sinfi Lovell here?" I said, "and why was I not told she
was here?"

'"Sinfi is an old friend of mine," he said. "I have been in the habit
of using her as a model for pictures. She came here to sit to me,
when she was taken ill. She is subject to fits, as you have seen. The
doctor believed that they were over and would not recur, and I had
determined that to-morrow I would bring you together."

'I made no reply, but walked silently by his side across