ed herself and went quietly to her bath. She observed
Elizabeth's sympathetic manner as she dressed her hair. Evidently all
the servants as well as the villagers were talking about her. But for
its possible, dangerous consequences, she was indifferent to their talk.
She was now wholly absorbed in Grey; he was the only thing of any
importance in her life.

Mr. Manley ate his dinner with an excellent appetite. He was pleased with
the brisk, almost brusque, manner in which he had dealt with the matter
of William Roper, in his interview with Olivia. If he had shilly-shallied
and hummed and hawed about the scandal, it would have been so much more
unpleasant for her. He thought, too, that his practical, common-sense
attitude to the business would probably help her to take it more easily,
and he was sure that he had advised the best measure to be taken with
William Roper.

He was smoking a cigar in a great content, when at nine o'clock Holloway
brought him word that William Roper had come. Mr. Manley bade him bring
him to him at a quarter-past. He felt that suspense would make William
Roper malleable, and he intended to hammer him. At thirteen minutes past
nine he composed his face into a dour truculence, an expression to which
the heavy conformation of the lower part lent itself admirably.

William Roper, looking uncommonly ill at ease, was ushered in by James
Hutchings himself, and the butler had improved the thirteen shining
minutes he had had with him by increasing to a considerable degree his
uneasiness and anxiety.

Mr. Manley did not greet William Roper. He stood on the hearth-rug and
glowered at him with heavy truculence. William Roper shuffled his feet
and fumbled with his cap.

Then Mr. Manley said: "Her ladyship has been informed that you have been
spreading scandalous reports in the village, and she has instructed me to
discharge you at once." He walked across to the table, took the sheet of
notepaper on which he had written the amount due to William Roper, dipped
a pen in the ink, and added: "Here are your wages up to date, and a
week's wages in lieu of notice. Sign this receipt."

He dipped a pen in the ink and held it out to William Roper with very
much the air of Lady Macbeth presenting her husband with the dagger.

William Roper was stupefied. Mr. Manley, truculent and dramatic,
cowed him.

"I never done nothing, sir," he said feebly.

"Sign--at once!" said Mr. Manley, gazing at him with the glare of