All he could say
was, that he had not received a notice to quit from his tenant, and that
he had been requested to keep the key of the house in his possession
until Mr. Bygrave returned to claim it in his own person.
Baffled, but not discouraged, Mrs. Lecount turned her steps next toward
the back street of Aldborough, and astonished the servant's relatives by
conferring on them the honor of a morning call.
Easily imposed on at starting by Mrs. Lecount's pretense of calling
to engage her, under the impression that she had left Mr. Bygrave's
service, the servant did her best to answer the questions put to her.
But she knew as little as the landlord of her master's plans. All she
could say about them was, that she had not been dismissed, and that she
was to await the receipt of a note recalling her when necessary to her
situation at North Shingles. Not having expected to find her better
informed on this part of the subject, Mrs. Lecount smoothly shifted her
ground, and led the woman into talking generally of the advantages and
defects of her situation in Mr. Bygrave's family.
Profiting by the knowledge gained, in this indirect manner, of the
little secrets of the household, Mrs.
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