“What followed?” echoed Sybil, in an expiring voice.
“What followed, ma’am, was this: but to make you understand, I must tell you what I ought to a told you at the start, which is how it happened as I seen her tip, tip, tip, on her tiptoes to the drawing-room, just for all the world like a cat after cream. Well, I was up here, in this very room where I am now, a sorting out of your fine things as come up from the wash, and I found one o’ her lace handkerchers among yourn, fotch up by mistake. So I jes took it and went down them back stairs as leads from this room down to hern, to give her back her handkercher; when jes as I got into her room, I seen her slip outen the other door leading into the hall. So after her I goes, to give her her handkercher—which I thought it was best to give it intor her own hands, than to put it anywhere in her room, because I didn’t know nothing about this forring nuss o’ hern; and you know yourself, ma’am, as we ought to be cautious in dealing with strangers.”
“Yes, yes! Go on! go on!” gasped Sybil.
“Well, ma’am, she flitted through them passages too fast for me, jes as if she was afraid o’ being caught afore she got out o’ sight! I jes seen her slip into the drawing-room, where I knowed as Mr. Berners was a lying onto the sofa, and then I turns back and runs away.”
“Oh, why didn’t you follow her in?” groaned Sybil.
“Yes, why didn’t I, ma’am; which I wish I had, and would a done if it hadn’t a been for that forring nuss a coming outen her room, and a screeching after me:
“‘Missus Winterblossom! Missus Winterblossom!’ which I allus told that huzzy as I wasn’t a ‘missus,’ but a ‘miss,’ nor likewise a ‘blossom,’ but a ‘rose.’ Howsever, there she was, a yelling at the top of her voice, ‘Missus Winterblossom! Missus Winterblossom!’ until I had to run to her, only to stop her mouth!”
“Ah! the wretch! she was the accomplice of her mistress, and wished to bring you away,” breathed Sybil more to herself than to her housekeeper, and in a tone too low to reach the ears of Miss Tabby, who continued:
“It was the baby, as had been eating of new chestnuts, and got the cramp. So the forring nuss, as wasn’t worth her salt, comes screaming after me to come and do something for the baby. Of course I went and did what was right and proper for the poor little suffering creetur; and when I had put him to sleep, I thinks about his neglectful mother, and so I ups and goes after her. And when I opens the drawing-room door, ma’am—well, I sees a sight as strikes me intor a statty o’ stone, or a pillar o’ salt, like Lot’s wife.”
“What? what?” panted Sybil.