id Mrs. Potten, taking in Louise's untidy blouse, her plain
features, thick complexion and luminous brown eyes in one comprehensive
glance. "Can you tell me if Miss Scott will be in for luncheon?" Mrs.
Potten spoke French with a strong English accent and much originality of
style.

Yes, Miss Scott was returning to luncheon.

"And do you know if the ladies have afternoon engagements?"

Louise thought they had none, because Lady Dashwood was to be at home to
tea. That she knew for certain, and she added in a voice fraught with
import: "I shall urge Madame to rest after lunch."

"Humph! I see you look after her properly," said Mrs. Potten, beginning
to write on her card with the pencil; "I thought she was looking very
tired when I saw her this morning."

"Tired!" exclaimed Louise; "Madame is always tired in Oxford."

"Relaxing climate," said Mrs. Potten as she wrote.

"And this house does not suit Madame," continued Louise, motionless at
the door.

"The drains wrong, perhaps," said Mrs. Potten, with absolute
indifference.

"I know nothing of drains, Madame," said Louise, "I speak of other
things."

"Sans doute il y a du 'dry rot,'" said Mrs. Potten, looking at what she
had written.

"Ah!" exclaimed Louise, clasping her hands, "Madame has heard; I did not
know his name, but what matter? Ghosts are always ghosts, and my Lady
Dashwood has never been the same since that night, never!"

Mrs. Potten stared but she did not express surprise, she wanted to hear
more without asking for more.

"Madame knows that the ghost comes to bring bad news about the Warden!"

"Bad news!" said Mrs. Potten, and she put her pencil back into her bag
and wondered whether the news of the Warden's engagement had reached the
servants' quarters.

"A disaster," said Louise. "Always a disaster--to Monsieur the Warden.
Madame understands?"

Louise gazed at Mrs. Potten as if she hoped that that lady had
information to give her. But Mrs. Potten had none. She was merely
thinking deeply.

"Well," she said, rising, "I suppose most old houses pretend to have
ghosts. We have one at Potten End, but I have never seen it myself, and,
as far as I know, it does no harm and no good. But Madame didn't see the
ghost you speak of?" and here Mrs. Potten smiled a little satirically.

"It was Miss Scott," said Louise, darkly.

"Oh!" said Mrs. Potten, with a short laugh. "Oh, well!" and she came
towards the maid with the card in her hand. "Now, will y