She listened intently. Yes, she was sure she heard somebody in the next room.
A step that moved stealthily about. A noise as of woodwork skilfully and cautiously broken open.
She became seriously alarmed. Who could it be? She endeavoured as best she could to account in some rational and reasonable way for the sounds which fell upon her ear.
One moment she felt frightened, then her courage came back higher for its interruption.
She was a woman who was not daunted by a trifle—still it must be confessed the situation in which she found herself was a trying one.
She could have escaped from her own room into the passage easily enough, and so alarmed the house, but when she reflected that its fighting garrison consisted only of an infirm old butler, and a page boy whom no one could possibly wake, there seemed little to be gained by such a proceeding if violence or robbery were really intended.
Besides, she rather scorned the idea of summoning assistance till she had ascertained the amount of danger.
She remembered at this time the accounts she had heard of the numberless daring robberies which had taken place in that and the surrounding neighbourhoods.
She had laughed at these reports, which she concluded had been greatly exaggerated, but she looked upon the matter in a more serious light now.
It was likely enough that some daring burglar had paid her establishment a visit during her husband’s and the footman’s absence, for both were away.