“What is it, dear?”
“Listen!”
Lady Markham bent forward, and remained silent for some minutes before saying—
“I heard nothing, Lil.”
“I thought I heard horses a long way off. Oh!”
She started violently, for there was a sharp, but faint tap on the panel of the door, as if some one had sharply loosened one finger-nail with the other.
Neither stirred for a few moments, and then the sharp cracking sound was repeated.
Lady Markham did not hesitate, but walked across to the door.
“Who is there?” she said in a low, firm voice.
There was a faint rustle, as of some one moving a hand over the door outside, and then from low down came a low—