It was Martha Day who spoke.
"Yes," the old man replied; "but I have received no reply. I have been here for nearly ten minutes, but I have been unable to make any one hear."
"Perhaps Lizzie is asleep. I have been away nearly three hours, looking after my boxes. I did not intend to come back to-night, but I could not rest away from my darling. Come round the back way, Mr. Wheels. Lizzie has shown me where she leaves the key of the back door sometimes."
They went to the rear of the house, and Martha found the key.
"Yes, here it is; I suppose my girl has gone out for a walk. With Alfred perhaps."
"I can scarcely think that," the old man said, "the night is so cheerless."
"It is cold and dreary, out of doors," assented Martha.
"I came round to see if Alfred was here. Lily is uneasy because he has not come home, and she wants him to hear the news about her and Felix."
Martha, groping about in the dark for matches, seemed to find something strange in this, for she said, in an uneasy tone,
"Alfred not come home, and Lizzie not here!"