Part 40 (1/2)

”I must not lose another hour.”

She rang the bell, and began to dress herself as hurriedly as weakness would admit of.

”Are you up, Miss Margaret, dear?” said the housekeeper, anxiously, from the hall.

She unlocked the door, held it opened fearfully, and beckoned her to come in.

The old lady's first look was at the girl's face, at which she gasped.

Her next was at the window, from which a blinding ray and a cold current of air a.s.sailed her; at which she shrieked:

”Lord ha' mercy! How came that there?”

”Ask me nothing,” shuddered Margaret. ”I am going to have the affair sifted to the bottom.”

”But why didn't you raise the house? Wasn't it a burglar?”

”No. I can tell you nothing about it until I have put myself under the protection of Mr. Davenport and the doctor.”

She spoke quite evenly, but there was a suspicious wildness about her eyes which struck a new vein in the prolific brain of the housekeeper.

”Miss Margaret, deary! you didn't surely make that hole yourself?”

Margaret burst into vehement laughter. Her brain was so tried and over-strained that a touch might turn it. To ask her if she had done it!

And then, on the other hand, to think that Mrs. Chetwode should seem to be distrusting her sanity, like the others!

Down came the tears in a rus.h.i.+ng torrent!

”My! She's in hysterics!” shrieked Mrs. Chetwode, catching the poor girl in her arms. ”Don't, dear, don't!” shaking her vigorously. ”Be quiet now, deary, love! Whisht! whisht!”

Wilder grew Margaret's sobs, shriller her laughter. She writhed herself out of Mrs. Chetwode's arms, and pointed to the door.

”You have left it open!” she gasped, ”and the colonel will shoot me!

Shut it, for heaven's sake!”

Mrs. Chetwode locked the door, with a glance at her mistress, which said, as plain as eyes could say it:

”Poor thing! She is crazy!”

”Miss Margaret, dear, go back to your bed. You're not fit to be up at all to-day. When you feel better, we'll find out about this shutter business. Or may be you'd better come into my room. There's a dreadful draught here.”

”I must go down to Dr. Gay,” said Margaret, still hysterically. ”Tell Symonds to have the carriage ready.”

”Miss Margaret, lovey! I don't know that the colonel will like you to go out. I--I'm not sure that he'll let you.

”Is he in this house?”

”He's waited from ten o'clock, until now, nigh on four o'clock to see you when you should get up. He told me you weren't well.”