Suffering in my mind. I was terrified, but that feeling did not last
very long. Soon I grew happy, happier than I had been in weeks, happier
than I had ever been in all my life before. I found that I loved Adelaide
better than I did myself. This made everything easy, even the sending of
the answer I have told you about to Mr. Ranelagh."

"Miss Cumberland, how did you get this answer to Mr. Ranelagh?"

"By means of a gentleman who was going away on the very train I had
been asked to leave on. He was a guest next door, and I carried the
note in to him."

"Did you do this openly?"

"No. I'm afraid not; I slipped out by the side door, in as careful a way
as I could."

"Did this attempt at secrecy succeed? Were you able to go and come
without meeting any one?"

"No. Adelaide was at the head of the stairs when I came back, standing
there, very stiff and quiet."

"Did she speak to you?"

"No. She just looked at me; but it wasn't a common look. I shall never
forget it."

"And what did you do then?"

"I went to my room."

"Miss Cumberland, did you sec anybody else when you came in at
this time?"

"Yes, our maid Helen. She was just laying down a bunch of keys on the
table in the lower hall. I stopped and looked at the keys. I had
recognised them as the ones I had seen in Mr. Ranelagh's hands many
times. He had gone, yet there were his keys. One of them unlocked the
club-house. I noticed it among the others, but I didn't touch it then.
Helen was still in the hall, and I ran straight upstairs, where I met my
sister, as I have just told you."

"Miss Cumberland, continue the story. What did you do after re-entering
your room?"

"I don't know what I did first. I was very excited--elated one minute,
deeply wretched and very frightened the next. I must have sat down; for I
was shaking very much, and felt a little sick. The sight of that key had
brought up pictures of the club-house; and I thought and thought how
quiet it was, and how far away and--how cold it was too, and how secret.
I would go there for what I had to do; _there_! And then I saw in my
fancy one of its rooms, with the moon in it, and--but I soon shut my eyes
to that. I heard Arthur moving about his room, and this made me start up
and go out into the hall again."

During all this Mr. Fox had sat by, understanding his right to object to
the witness's mixed statements of fact and of feelings, and quite
confident that his objections would be sustained. B