She hesitated for a second. "Oh, I must see you back to bed or you'll be getting your death of cold."
"Good night, miss," she said. Before she blew out the candle I noticed that her face was as white as ever.
Somehow she had seemed too frightened.
After all, was stealing brandy so terrible? Was dismissal from Aunt Jael's service so hideous a blow? Then there was the way she had closed the door behind her.
I heard her creep her way upstairs. My heart stood still as I heard another door open quite near me; Grandmother's by the sound of it. No doubt she had been awakened and had heard our going to and fro on the stairs. I sat up in bed so as to hear better. I fancied she was standing at her door as though listening. Then a voice spoke, sounding strangely in the silence. It was my Grandmother's.
"Child, what are you doing? Is that you, child? What are you doing?"
I jumped out of bed and opened my door. "What is it, Grandmother? I'm here, what is it?"
An odd expression came into her eyes.
"Then who was it going downstairs just now? Somebody crouched when I called out, then seemed to wriggle their way further down; somebody in white, like your nightgown. I thought you were sleepwalking."
Some one in white wriggling downstairs! Was not Grandmother herself sleepwalking? It could not be Maud, for I had heard her close her door.