ght. "I heard men singin'
along the road the night before last it was. It fair gave me the
jumps. Glad I was to have that gate between me and them and the strong
padlock on it."

"This lodge is perhaps a little lonely for you. It's a very quiet
road. The people don't use it much. It runs down to a road where they
think there's a ghost. You're not afraid of ghosts?"

"No, m'lady. If but they'd keep the people from the road."

"Ah! you will find the people friendly and kindly after a time. You're
new to the place."

"Maybe so, m'lady. I always was one for keeping myself to myself. My
Granny brought me up strict. I wish I hadn't lost her when I did."
She heaved a deep sigh. "We had a sweet little place at home in
Warwickshire. Such a pretty cottage, _and_ an orchard, _and_ the roses
climbin' about my window."

What matter that she said "winder"! Her eyes, the pale large eyes, had
light in them as though she beheld a vision.

"'Twere all peace with my Granny and me," she went on. "And her
Ladyship at the Court,--Mr. Neville was our Squire and her Ladyship was
Lady Frances Neville--used to drop in to see Granny, and she used to
say what a good girl I was, always busy with my needle and my book.
And our Rector's wife, Mrs. Farmiloe, she gave me a silver thimble when
I was nine--a prize for needlework. Lady Frances used to say, 'Don't
you keep her too close to work, Mrs. Horridge. A child must play with
other children.' But my Granny she'd up and say: 'She's all I have,
and I'd rather bury her than see her trapesin' about with boys like
some I know.' And there was Miss Sylvia peepin' at me from behind her
Ladyship and me peepin' at her from behind my Granny. I went to the
Court at sixteen as sewing maid, and at twenty I was Miss Sylvia's own
maid. She married Lord Southwater, and I'd have gone with her only I
couldn't leave my Granny. She was failin', poor old soul!"

She paused and again she heaved the deepest of sighs.

"Beggin' your pardon, m'lady, for talkin' so much. You'd maybe take a
look at the little place?" she said.

Lady O'Gara turned aside. She was in no great hurry home and she was
interested in Susan. Susan had padlocked the gate again and held the
key swinging from her finger, while she looked up at Lady O'Gara as
though her saying "yes" or "no" meant a great deal to her.

"I wonder what would happen if we wanted to get in or out by that gate
at night time," Lady O'Gara sai