"And I suppose you explained to her that I had the idea all out of my own little head?"
"I told her that I should never have dreamed of asking such a thing!" The susceptible and proud young creature indicated that the suggestion was one of Mrs. Maldon's rare social errors, and that Mrs. Maldon had had a narrow escape of being snubbed for it by the woman of the world now washing silver. "I'm no more afraid of burglars than you are," Rachel added. "I should just like to catch a burglar here—that I should!"
Louis indulgently doubted the reality of this courage. He had been too hastily concluding that what Rachel resented was an insinuation of undue interest in himself, whereas she now made it seem that she was objecting merely to any reflection upon her valour: which was much less exciting to him. Still, he thought that both causes might have contributed to her delightful indignation.
"Why was she so keen about having one of us to sleep here to-night?" Louis inquired.
"Well, I don't know that she was," answered Rachel. "If you hadn't said anything—"
"Oh, but do you know what she said to me upstairs?"
"No."
"She didn't want me even to go back to my digs for my things. Evidently she doesn't care for the house to be left even for half an hour."
"Well, of course old people are apt to get nervous, you know—especially when they're not well."
"Funny, isn't it?"