"No; why should they?" asked the crone, contemptuously. "What have fine folks like them to do with a woman like you?"
"I'll slap your face if you talk to me like that," raged Mrs Jeal, her worst nature coming uppermost.
"I have influence with your master. I can have you turned away."
"No, you can't," replied the other hag. "Why I heard Sir Frank say how glad he was to get away without seeing you. He called you a witch. He! He!"
"He did, did he?" muttered Mrs Jeal, furiously. "Now just you—" She was going on to threaten the caretaker when she found the door banged in her face and heard the mocking laughter of the old woman behind it.
Treated thus scornfully, Mrs Jeal stamped and raged like one possessed. "Not a penny," she muttered, "and he promised—ugh, the miser—the beast! I'll be even with him. There's the money for the cup. I can follow. I can—but I want more. Now that I have given up my secret"—her face grew dark as she thought of the burnt letter—"I shall be poor. Ha!" She stopped, and biting her finger looked towards the castle. "I can make her pay. This evening, then. It will be worth more than the cup. One secret is of no use. But I have another—another."
She shook her fist at the house of Sir Frank, said something about him that was not exactly a blessing, then returned home with her mind made up. She wished to leave Colester, which was now too hot for her. As Sybil would look after Pearl, there would be no difficulty in that quarter. She had saved money, and with what she had got from pawning the cup she was fairly well off for her station in life. But Mrs Jeal was greedy and wanted more. Mrs Gabriel was to be the milch cow this time. Thus it came about that Mrs Gabriel was informed that evening that Mrs Jeal wished to see her at once on important business.
The underlying insolence of the message annoyed Mrs Gabriel, who always prided herself on keeping the lower orders in what she called their proper place, which was under her heel. And Mrs Gabriel was in no mood to be merciful to insolence. Some kind friend had informed her of the discovery of Leo's true position. She was savagely angry. On account of Pratt she had hated the young man, and later on, when he came to defy her, she had disliked him on his own account. That he should have a title, and that he should marry Sybil Tempest! These things were all gall and bitterness to the haughty woman. She wanted Leo to be her slave, to punish him for Pratt's misdemeanours. But her slave had escaped, and she could do nothing save sit in the empty room, eating out her heart in the bitterness of impotent anger. She could do nothing. Leo was gone; Pratt was gone, and she was left a lonely woman. She had not even the comfort of feeling that she could revenge herself.
Feeling in this mood, she was not unwilling to see Mrs Jeal. Here, at least, was someone on whom she could vent her rage. With an imperious gesture she ordered the woman to be admitted, and received her with a stormy brow. Mrs Jeal smiled. She knew that she had the upper hand, and was not to be intimidated by stormy looks. Waiting till the servant had departed and the door was closed, she introduced herself.
"I have to speak to you on important business, my lady," she said, with assumed meekness, and addressing Mrs Gabriel by a title to which she laid no claim. This was done to accentuate the later part of the interview. Mrs Jeal was quite as well prepared as was Mrs Gabriel to make herself disagreeable. She also was out of tune.