For a few moments her lips moved dumbly; and there was something unspeakably awful in those convulsed features, that livid countenance, and those voiceless syllables trembling upon the white dry lips.

At last speech came.

‘Girl, you were created to torment me;’ she exclaimed.

‘Dear grandmother, what harm have I done?’ faltered Mary.

’What harm?  You are a spy.  Your very existence is a torment and a danger.  Would to God that you were married.  Yes, married to a chimney-sweep, even—­and out of my way.’

‘If that is your only difficulty,’ said Mary, haughtily, ’I dare say Mr. Hammond would be kind enough to marry me to-morrow, and take me out of your ladyship’s way.’

Lady Maulevrier’s head sank back upon her pillows, those velvet and satin pillows, rich with delicate point lace and crewel-work adornment, the labour of Mary and Fraeulein, pillows which could not bring peace to the weary head, or deaden the tortures of memory.  The pale face recovered its wonted calm, the heavy lips drooped over the weary eyes, and for a few moments there was silence in the room.

Then Lady Maulevrier raised her eyelids, and looked at her granddaughter imploringly, pathetically.

‘Forgive me, Mary,’ she said.  ’I don’t know what I was saying just now; but whatever it was, forgive and forget it.  I am a wretched old woman, heart sick, heart sore, worn out by pain and weariness.  There are times when I am beside myself; moments when I am not much saner than Steadman’s lunatic uncle.  This is one of my worst days, and you came bouncing in upon me, and tortured my nerves by your breathless torrent of words.  Pray forgive me, if I said anything rude.’

‘If,’ thought Mary:  but she tried to be charitable, and to believe that Lady Maulevrier’s attack upon her was a new phase of hysteria, so she murmured meekly, ’There is nothing for me to forgive, grandmother, and I am very sorry I disturbed you.’

She was going to leave the room, thinking that her absence would be a relief to the invalid, when Lady Maulevrier called her back.

’You were asking me something—­something about that old man of Steadman’s,’ she said with a weary air, half indifference, half the lassitude natural to an invalid who sinks under the burden of monotonous days.  ‘What was it all about?  I forget.’

Mary repeated her request, but this time in measured tones.

‘My dear, I am sure that Steadman was only properly prudent.’ answered Lady Maulevrier, ’and that it would never do for me to interfere in this matter.  It stands to reason that he must know his old kinsman’s temperament much better than you can, after your half-hour interviews with him in the garden.  Pray how long have these garden scenes been going on, by-the-by?’ asked her ladyship, with a searching look at Mary’s downcast face.

The girl had not altogether recovered from the rude shock of her grandmother’s late attack.