“And his ghost appeared to us here? No, ma’am. Never since that night have I slept in this house. The officers of the law occupied it the next day, and after the inquest the undertaker had possession until the funeral. While that was going on I slept at my brother’s house. Then I had the furniture of my part of the house moved down to the gate lodge, which was empty at that time, and I have lived there ever since; only, as I told you before, coming up here, in broad daylight, with a lot of the colored people to keep me in courage, while I had the house opened and aired. This I have done faithfully every week all the year round, ever since the last master’s dreadful death.”
“And you have never seen anything to recall the horrors of that night?”
“Not much, ma’am, because I have always visited it in broad daylight, as I have told you.”
“Well, now that the place is thrown open to the sun and air, and Mr. Lindsay and myself are here to take possession, and your niece Philippa and a number of the colored servants, whom we shall bring in, you will not be afraid to join us?”
“You mean to come back and live here?” inquired the housekeeper, somewhat startled.
“Yes, to come and live here. I shall want a housekeeper in the house to look after the servants. I shall also need a matron, as a protector for myself during the absence of Mr. Lindsay; or, to speak more correctly, I should say, after the departure of Mr. Lindsay. I would give you for your sleeping-room, one of the best bedchambers in the house, the next to my own, for company, and your niece could sleep with you for closer company. Come, what do you say?”
“Oh, ma’am, I know not what to say. Of course, I know that I must do one thing or the other. As long as you need a housekeeper in the house, I must either come and live here or else I must give up my situation and let some other woman take it who would come and live in the house. I have held the situation of housekeeper at Gryphynshold for twenty-five years, and I don’t like to give up a post that I expected to live and die in; and, on the other hand, I am afeared to sleep in this house.”
“Well, Mrs. Brent,” said Gloria, with more firmness than she had ever given herself credit for possessing, “I do not wish to hurry you. Take your time to decide what you will do; but let me know your answer before Mr. Lindsay goes away; for it will be necessary for me to find some matronly protection before his departure.”
“And dear me, that will be so soon,” said the housekeeper.
“Yes; but listen. Your years of faithful service will not be forgotten. If you decide to leave me you shall have six months’ wages in advance; but if you decide to stay I will do anything in the world that I can do to make you happy.”