ap
with her knuckle on the table.

Precisely at this juncture a tapping came to the door.

'Come in,' said I.

And old L'Amour entered the room, with a courtesy.

'I came to tell Miss Quince her breakfast's ready,' said the old lady.

'Who came in the chaise, L'Amour?' demanded Milly.

'What chaise?' spluttered the beldame tartly.

'The chaise that came last night, past two o'clock,' said Milly.

'That's a lie, and a damn lie!' cried the beldame. 'There worn't no chaise
at the door since Miss Maud there come from Knowl.'

I stared at the audacious old menial who could utter such language.

'Yes, there was a chaise, and Cormoran, as I think, be come in it,' said
Milly, who seemed accustomed to L'Amour's daring address.

'And there's another damn lie, as big as the t'other,' said the crone, her
haggard and withered face flushing orange all over.

'I beg you will not use such language in my room,' I replied, very angrily.
'I saw the chaise at the door; your untruth signifies very little, but
your impertinence here I will not permit. Should it be repeated, I will
assuredly complain to my uncle.'

The old woman flushed more fiercely as I spoke, and fixed her bleared glare
on me, with a compression of her mouth that amounted to a wicked grimace.
She resisted her angry impulse, however, and only chuckled a little
spitefully, saying,

'No offence, miss: it be a way we has in Derbyshire o' speaking our minds.
No offence, miss, were meant, and none took, as I hopes,' and she made me
another courtesy. 'And I forgot to tell you, Miss Milly, the master wants
you this minute.'

So Milly, in mute haste, withdrew, followed closely by L'Amour.

CHAPTER XXXVII

_DOCTOR BRYERLY EMERGES_

When Milly joined me at breakfast, her eyes were red and swollen. She was
still sniffing with that little sobbing hiccough, which betrays, even were
there no other signs, recent violent weeping. She sat down quite silent.

'Is he worse, Milly?' I enquired, anxiously.

'No, nothing's wrong wi' him; he's right well,' said Milly, fiercely.

'What's the matter then, Milly dear?'

'The poisonous old witch! 'Twas just to tell the Gov'nor how I'd said 'twas
Cormoran that came by the po'shay last night.'

'And who is Cormoran?' I enquired.

'Ay, there it is; I'd like to tell, and you want to hear--and I just
daren't, for he'll send me off right to a French school--hang it--hang them
all!--if I do.'

'And why should Uncle Sil