The peaceful night had a good effect on them all; danger, being unseen, seemed far off.  At times it was hard to realise that it had ever been.  With courage restored, Adam rose early and walked along the Brow, seeing no change in the signs of life in Castra Regis.  What he did see, to his wonder and concern, on his returning homeward, was Lady Arabella, in her tight-fitting white dress and ermine collar, but without her emeralds; she was emerging from the gate of Diana’s Grove and walking towards the Castle.  Pondering on this and trying to find some meaning in it, occupied his thoughts till he joined Mimi and Sir Nathaniel at breakfast.  They began the meal in silence.  What had been had been, and was known to them all.  Moreover, it was not a pleasant topic.

A fillip was given to the conversation when Adam told of his seeing Lady Arabella, on her way to Castra Regis.  They each had something to say of her, and of what her wishes or intentions were towards Edgar Caswall.  Mimi spoke bitterly of her in every aspect.  She had not forgotten—­and never would—­never could—­the occasion when, to harm Lilla, the woman had consorted even with the nigger.  As a social matter, she was disgusted with her for following up the rich landowner—­“throwing herself at his head so shamelessly,” was how she expressed it.  She was interested to know that the great kite still flew from Caswall’s tower.  But beyond such matters she did not try to go.  The only comment she made was of strongly expressed surprise at her ladyship’s “cheek” in ignoring her own criminal acts, and her impudence in taking it for granted that others had overlooked them also.

CHAPTER XXIV—­A STARTLING PROPOSITION

The more Mimi thought over the late events, the more puzzled she was.  What did it all mean—­what could it mean, except that there was an error of fact somewhere.  Could it be possible that some of them—­all of them had been mistaken, that there had been no White Worm at all?  On either side of her was a belief impossible of reception.  Not to believe in what seemed apparent was to destroy the very foundations of belief . . . yet in old days there had been monsters on the earth, and certainly some people had believed in just such mysterious changes of identity.  It was all very strange.  Just fancy how any stranger—­say a doctor—­would regard her, if she were to tell him that she had been to a tea-party with an antediluvian monster, and that they had been waited on by up-to-date men-servants.

Adam had returned, exhilarated by his walk, and more settled in his mind than he had been for some time.  Like Mimi, he had gone through the phase of doubt and inability to believe in the reality of things, though it had not affected him to the same extent.  The idea, however, that his wife was suffering ill-effects from her terrible ordeal, braced him up.  He remained with her for a time, then he sought Sir Nathaniel in order to talk over the matter with him.  He knew that the calm common sense and self-reliance of the old man, as well as his experience, would be helpful to them all.