as fear,
Mrs. Cross got out of the room, and opened the front door of the house.
This way and that she looked along the streets, searching for a
policeman, but none was in sight. At this moment, approached a familiar
figure, Mr. Jollyman's errand boy, basket on arm; he had parcels to
deliver here.

"Are you going back to the shop at once?" asked Mrs. Cross, after
hurriedly setting down her groceries in the passage.

"Straight back, mum."

"Then run as quickly as ever you can, and tell Mr. Jollyman that I wish
to see him immediately--immediately. Run! Don't lose a moment!"

Afraid to shut herself in with the sleeping fury, Mrs. Cross remained
standing near the front door, which every now and then she opened to
look for a policeman. The day was cold; she shivered, she felt weak,
wretched, ready to sob in her squalid distress. Some twenty minutes
passed, then, just as she opened the door to look about again, a rapid
step sounded on the pavement, and there appeared her grocer.

"Oh, Mr. Jollyman!" she exclaimed. "What I have just gone through! That
girl has gone raving mad--she has broken almost everything in the
house, and tried to kill me with the poker. Oh, I am so glad you've
come! Of course there's never a policeman when they're wanted. Do
please come in."

Warburton did not at once understand who was meant by "that girl," but
when Mrs. Cross threw open the sitting-room door, and exhibited her
domestic prostrate in disgraceful slumber, the facts of the situation
broke upon him. This was the girl so strongly recommended by Mrs.
Hopper.

"But I thought she had been doing very well--"

"So she had, so she had, Mr. Jollyman--except for a few little
things--though there was always something rather strange about her.
It's only today that she broke out. She is mad, I assure you, raving
mad!"

Another explanation suggested itself to Warburton.

"Don't you notice a suspicious odour?" he asked significantly.

"You think it's _that_!" said Mrs. Cross, in a horrified whisper. "Oh,
I daresay you're right. I'm too agitated to notice anything. Oh, Mr.
Jollyman! Do, do help me to get the creature out of the house. How
shameful that people gave her a good character. But everybody deceives
me--everybody treats me cruelly, heartlessly. Don't leave me alone with
that creature, Mr. Jollyman. Oh, if you knew what I have been through
with servants! But never anything so bad as this--never! Oh, I feel
quite ill--I must sit dow