"Why did you hate him?"
"Never you mind, sir," retorted Rhoda grimly. "I hated him."
"Yet he bought you this cloak."
"No, he didn't!" contradicted the girl. "He got it from the lady!"
"What!" cried Lucian sharply. "Are you sure of that?"
"I can't exactly swear to it," replied Rhoda, hesitating, "but it was this way: The lady wore a cloak like that, and I admired it awful. She had it on when she came, Christmas Eve, and she didn't wear it when I let her out, and the next day Mr. Wrent gave it to me. So I suppose it is the same cloak."
"And did the lady go out into the cold winter weather without the cloak?"
"Yes; but she had a long cloth jacket on, sir, so I don't s'pose she missed it."
"Was the lady agitated when she went out?"
"I don't know. She held her tongue and kept her veil down."