“What was it?” asked Bayre, leaning down and guessing what sort of incident it was that had caused her alarm.
“It was something that made me think I ought to have time to find out a little more, and to consult somebody as to what I ought to do. Something which made me wonder whether I should do so wisely as I had supposed in following your uncle’s advice as to my marriage.”
“Yes, yes, go on. You saw something about him that made you suspect—what?”
“Why, that there’s someone living at the château besides himself.”
Bayre started back, staring at her in perplexity, as the memory of his discovery of that afternoon returned vividly to his mind.
“Someone besides himself! Who?” asked he, sharply.
“I don’t know. But it’s someone nobody knows anything about except himself and the two Vazons,” said Miss Eden. “And—and—I think it’s—a woman.”
Bayre stood up, struck with a horrible thought. Was his uncle keeping his own young wife shut up in his house with himself and the two Vazons for gaolers?
CHAPTER XI.
RIVALS
“Tell me all you know about this,” said Bayre, abruptly, when he had silently pondered for some moments on Miss Eden’s statement. “You may trust me. You wouldn’t have told me so much if you hadn’t felt sure of that.”