“You have been to see me?” she exclaimed.
“Not to see you exactly, because the door was shut between us. But I heard you in here, talking to yourself and turning over the leaves of your books. I didn’t think it worth while to disturb you. I shouldn’t have come in to-night, only I heard you shaking and pulling the door, and I thought you had heard me and were frightened.”
“Oh, no. I wanted to know where it led to.”
“To the floor above by a staircase. See.”
He opened the door through which he had entered, and showed her the lowest steps of a very narrow staircase, which went up along the outer side of the library-wall.
“And how did you get into the floor above?”
“Well, it’s a secret I’m bound not to betray.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Freda coolly, “I shall find it out. I want them to find that I am a meddlesome, inquisitive creature, who must be got rid of.”
“Who’s ‘them’?” asked Dick.
“Crispin and Mrs. Bean.”