"Ah, I don't know," she muttered; "some might not think so, I always
did; it depended upon the way you looked at her."

For the first time I felt a thrill of anticipation shoot through my
veins. Why, I could not say. Her tone was peculiar, and she spoke in
a sort of brooding way as though she were weighing something in her
own mind; but then her manner had been peculiar throughout. Whatever
it was that aroused my suspicion, I determined henceforth to keep a
very sharp eye upon her ladyship. Levelling a straight glance at her
face, I asked her how it was that she came to be the one to inform
the authorities of the girl's disappearance.

"Doesn't Mr. Blake know anything about it?"

The faintest shadow of a change came into her manner. "Yes," said she,
"I told him at breakfast time; but Mr. Blake doesn't take much
interest in his servants; he leaves all such matters to me."

"Then he does not know you have come for the police?"

"No, sir, and O, if you would be so good as to keep it from him. It is
not necessary he should know. I shall let you in the back way. Mr.
Blake is a man who never meddles with anything, and--"

"What did Mr. Blake say this morning when you told him that this
girl--By the way, what is her name?"

"Emily."