g, when I heard voices very loud and
angry in here. I didn't exactly mean to listen, but--well, there it is.
I stopped. The door was shut, but the mistress was speaking very sharp
and clear, and I heard what she said quite plainly. 'You have lied
to me, and deceived me,' she said. I didn't hear what Mr. Inglethorp
replied. He spoke a good bit lower than she did--but she answered:
'How dare you? I have kept you and clothed you and fed you! You owe
everything to me! And this is how you repay me! By bringing disgrace
upon our name!' Again I didn't hear what he said, but she went on:
'Nothing that you can say will make any difference. I see my duty
clearly. My mind is made up. You need not think that any fear of
publicity, or scandal between husband and wife will deter me.' Then I
thought I heard them coming out, so I went off quickly."

"You are sure it was Mr. Inglethorp's voice you heard?"

"Oh, yes, sir, whose else's could it be?"

"Well, what happened next?"

"Later, I came back to the hall; but it was all quiet. At five o'clock,
Mrs. Inglethorp rang the bell and told me to bring her a cup of
tea--nothing to eat--to the boudoir. She was looking dreadful--so white
and upset. 'Dorcas,' she says, 'I've had a great shock.' 'I'm sorry for
that, m'm,' I says. 'You'll feel better after a nice hot cup of tea,
m'm.' She had something in her hand. I don't know if it was a letter, or
just a piece of paper, but it had writing on it, and she kept staring
at it, almost as if she couldn't believe what was written there. She
whispered to herself, as though she had forgotten I was there: 'These
few words--and everything's changed.' And then she says to me: 'Never
trust a man, Dorcas, they're not worth it!' I hurried off, and got her
a good strong cup of tea, and she thanked me, and said she'd feel better
when she'd drunk it. 'I don't know what to do,' she says. 'Scandal
between husband and wife is a dreadful thing, Dorcas. I'd rather hush it
up if I could.' Mrs. Cavendish came in just then, so she didn't say any
more."

"She still had the letter, or whatever it was, in her hand?" "Yes, sir."

"What would she be likely to do with it afterwards?"

"Well, I don't know, sir, I expect she would lock it up in that purple
case of hers."

"Is that where she usually kept important papers?"

"Yes, sir. She brought it down with her every morning, and took it up
every night."

"When did she lose the key of it?"

"She missed it yester