e was afraid the messages
might have been of great importance to her mistress's interests. Her
dread of Sir Percival had deterred her from going to Blackwater Park
late at night to inquire about them, and Miss Halcombe's own directions
to her, on no account to miss the train in the morning, had prevented
her from waiting at the inn the next day. She was most anxious that
the misfortune of her fainting-fit should not lead to the second
misfortune of making her mistress think her neglectful, and she would
humbly beg to ask me whether I would advise her to write her
explanations and excuses to Miss Halcombe, requesting to receive the
messages by letter, if it was not too late. I make no apologies for
this extremely prosy paragraph. I have been ordered to write it.
There are people, unaccountable as it may appear, who actually take
more interest in what my niece's maid said to me on this occasion than
in what I said to my niece's maid. Amusing perversity!

"I should feel very much obliged to you, sir, if you would kindly tell
me what I had better do," remarked the Young Person.

"Let things stop as they are," I said, adapting my language to my
listener. "I invariably let things stop as they are. Yes. Is that
all?"

"If you think it would be a liberty in me, sir, to write, of course I
wouldn't venture to do so. But I am so very anxious to do all I can to
serve my mistress faithfully----"

People in the lower class of life never know when or how to go out of a
room. They invariably require to be helped out by their betters. I
thought it high time to help the Young Person out. I did it with two
judicious words--

"Good-morning."

Something outside or inside this singular girl suddenly creaked. Louis,
who was looking at her (which I was not), says she creaked when she
curtseyed. Curious. Was it her shoes, her stays, or her bones? Louis
thinks it was her stays. Most extraordinary!

As soon as I was left by myself I had a little nap--I really wanted it.
When I awoke again I noticed dear Marian's letter. If I had had the
least idea of what it contained I should certainly not have attempted
to open it. Being, unfortunately for myself, quite innocent of all
suspicion, I read the letter. It immediately upset me for the day.

I am, by nature, one of the most easy-tempered creatures that ever
lived--I make allowances for everybody, and I take offence at nothing.
But as I have before remarked, there are li