either for police, or magistrate, or master. You're an unlucky lot.
I believe there's a curse on you. I'll leave you this very day. Yes!
I'll leave that poor Ailsie, too. I will! No good ever will come to
you!'

Mr Openshaw was utterly astonished at this speech; most of which was
completely unintelligible to him, as may easily be supposed. Before he
could make up his mind what to say, or what to do, Norah had left
the room. I do not think he had ever really intended to send for
the police to this old servant of his wife's; for he had never for a
moment doubted her perfect honesty. But he had intended to compel
her to tell him who the man was, and in this he was baffled. He was,
consequently, much irritated. He returned to his uncle and aunt in a
state of great annoyance and perplexity, and told them he could get
nothing out of the woman; that some man had been in the house the
night before; but that she refused to tell who he was. At this moment
his wife came in, greatly agitated, and asked what had happened to
Norah; for that she had put on her things in passionate haste, and
left the house.

'This looks suspicious,' said Mr Chadwick. 'It is not the way in which
an honest person would have acted.'

Mr Openshaw kept silence. He was sorely perplexed. But Mrs Openshaw
turned round on Mr Chadwick, with a sudden fierceness no one ever saw
in her before.

'You don't know Norah, uncle! She is gone because she is deeply hurt
at being suspected. Oh, I wish I had seen her--that I had spoken to
her myself. She would have told me anything.' Alice wrung her hands.