The first look made him start; the second made him stare; the third caused him to run lightly across the hall, and to seize her by the apron as she tried to escape into one of the rooms.
“Ann Price—masquerading as a housemaid, by all that’s audacious!” cried he, as they came face to face.
CHAPTER XVI.
A TRAITRESS.
Finding escape impossible, Ann turned and put a bold face on the matter. Or rather, she turned indeed, and faced him, but with the same air of modest womanliness which he had before remarked in her when she wore her sex’s clothes—a manner which altered so completely as soon as she assumed the costume of “Jem Bax.”
“And what are you pleased to want with me, sir?” she asked respectfully, after the short silence which had followed Tregenna’s exclamation.
“Well, I want to know, in the first place, what you are doing here?”
“Sure, sir, there’s no harm in my taking a place as housemaid, now I’m turned out of my mother’s home by your pryings of last night.”
“’Tis rather a bad thing for the squire and his lady,” said Tregenna, dryly, “to be harboring any of your kin, Ann, more especially after my discovery in the coach-house this morning!”