ially respecting many details of the _personnel_ of the
villanous party. She was obstinate and clear; and although the gamekeeper
corroborated my description of them, still my father was puzzled. Perhaps
he was not sorry that some hesitation was forced upon him, because although
at first he would have gone almost any length to detect the persons, on
reflection he was pleased that there was not evidence to bring them into
a court of justice, the publicity and annoyance of which would have been
inconceivably distressing to me.

Madame was in a strange state--tempestuous in temper, talking
incessantly--every now and then in floods of tears, and perpetually on
her knees pouring forth torrents of thanksgiving to Heaven for our joint
deliverance from the hands of those villains. Notwithstanding our community
of danger and her thankfulness on my behalf, however, she broke forth into
wrath and railing whenever we were alone together.

'Wat fool you were! so disobedient and obstinate; if you 'ad done wat _I_
say, then we should av been quaite safe; those persons they were tipsy, and
there is nothing so dangerous as to quarrel with tipsy persons; I would
'av brought you quaite safe--the lady she seem so nice and quaite, and we
should 'av been safe with her--there would 'av been nothing absolutely; but
instead you would scream and pooshe, and so they grow quite wild, and all
the impertinence and violence follow of course; and that a poor Bill--all
his beating and danger to his life it is cause entairely by you.'

And she spoke with more real virulence than that kind of upbraiding
generally exhibits.

'The beast!' exclaimed Mrs. Rusk, when she, I, and Mary Quince were in my
room together, 'with all her crying and praying, I'd like to know as much
as she does, maybe, about them rascals. There never was sich like about the
place, long as I remember it, till she came to Knowl, old witch! with them
unmerciful big bones of hers, and her great bald head, grinning here, and
crying there, and her nose everywhere. The old French hypocrite!'

Mary Quince threw in an observation, and I believe Mrs. Rusk rejoined, but
I heard neither. For whether the housekeeper spoke with reflection or not,
what she said affected me strangely. Through the smallest aperture, for
a moment, I had had a peep into Pandemonium. Were not peculiarities of
Madame's demeanour and advice during the adventure partly accounted for by
the suggestion? Could the proposed