He drew back a few steps,
cowering under her eye. "I can't say," he stammered. "I don't know.
What do you mean by these questions? I never thought about the moles
afterward; I never looked. She wears her hair low--"
"She has excellent reasons to wear it low, sir," remarked Mrs. Lecount.
"We will try and lift that hair before we have done with the subject.
When I came out here to find you in the garden, I saw a neat young
person through the kitchen window, with her work in her hand, who looked
to my eyes like a lady's maid. Is this young person your wife's maid? I
beg your pardon, sir, did you say yes? In that case, another question,
if you please. Did you engage her, or did your wife?"
"I engaged her--"
"While I was away? While I was in total ignorance that you meant to have
a wife, or a wife's maid?"
"Yes."
"Under those circumstances, Mr. Noel, you cannot possibly suspect me of
conspiring to deceive you, with the maid for my instrument. Go into
the house, sir, while I wait here. Ask the woman who dresses Mrs. Noel
Vanstone's hair morning and night whether her mistress has a mark on the
left side of her neck, and (if so) what that mark is?"
He walked a few steps toward the house without uttering a word, then
stopped, and looked back at Mrs.
Pages:
875
876
877
878
879
880
881
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899