Once more her voice began to shake.
“We’ve seen—terrible things—horrible things,” she faltered. “We’ve held our peace. Perhaps it’s been nearly as bad before, but we’ve closed our eyes; we haven’t wanted to know. Now—we can’t help it. Mr. Hamel, Esther isn’t at Lord Saxthorpe’s. She never went there. They didn’t ask her. And Dunster—the man Dunster—”
“Where is Esther?” Hamel interrupted suddenly.
“Locked up away from you, locked up because she rebelled!”
“And Dunster?”
She shook her head. Her eyes were filled with horror.
“But he left the Hall—I saw him!”
She shook her head.
“It wasn’t Dunster. It was the man Miles makes use of—Ryan, the librarian. He was once an actor.”
“Where is Dunster, then?” Hamel asked quickly. “What has become of him?”