As she sat smiling by me, full of anxious and affectionate enquiry, and smoothed the coverlet with her great felonious hand, I could quite comprehend the dreadful feeling with which the deceived husband in the ‘Arabian Nights’ met his ghoul wife, after his nocturnal discovery.

Ill as I was, I got up and found my father in that room which adjoined his bedchamber.  He perceived, I am sure, by my looks, that something unusual had happened.  I shut the door, and came close beside his chair.

‘Oh, papa, I have such a thing to tell you!’ I forgot to call him ‘Sir.’  ’A secret; and you won’t say who told you?  Will you come down to the study?’

He looked hard at me, got up, and kissing my forehead, said—­’Don’t be frightened, Maud; I venture to say it is a mare’s nest; at all events, my child, we will take care that no danger reaches you; come, child.’

And by the hand he led me to the study.  When the door was shut, and we had reached the far end of the room next the window, I said, but in a low tone, and holding his arm fast—­

’Oh, sir, you don’t know what a dreadful person we have living with us—­Madame de la Rougierre, I mean.  Don’t let her in if she comes; she would guess what I am telling you, and one way or another I am sure she would kill me.’

‘Tut, tut, child.  You must know that’s nonsense,’ he said, looking pale and stern.

‘Oh no, papa.  I am horribly frightened, and Lady Knollys thinks so too.’

‘Ha!  I dare say; one fool makes many.  We all know what Monica thinks.’

’But I saw it, papa.  She stole your key last night, and opened your desk, and read all your papers.’

‘Stole my key!’ said my father, staring at me perplexed, but at the same instant producing it.  ‘Stole it!  Why here it is!’

’She unlocked your desk; she read your papers for ever so long.  Open it now, and see whether they have not been stirred.’

He looked at me this time in silence, with a puzzled air; but he did unlock the desk, and lifted the papers curiously and suspiciously.  As he did so he uttered a few of those inarticulate interjections which are made with closed lips, and not always intelligible; but he made no remark.

Then he placed me on a chair beside him, and sitting down himself, told me to recollect myself, and tell him distinctly all I had seen.  This accordingly I did, he listening with deep attention.

‘Did she remove any paper?’ asked my father, at the same time making a little search, I suppose, for that which he fancied might have been stolen.

‘No; I did not see her take anything.’

’Well, you are a good girl, Maud.  Act discreetly.  Say nothing to anyone—­not even to your cousin Monica.’

Directions which, coming from another person would have had no great weight, were spoken by my father with an earnest look and a weight of emphasis that made them irresistibly impressive, and I went away with the seal of silence upon my lips.