"But no one else has made any remark, my dear Mrs. Kenrick?" said the rector, in a tone of conciliation "I mean—no one has questioned you—or——"
"Only Lady Cecilia Harborough sent yesterday afternoon to request you to call upon her, sir."
"Ah!—well?"
"And of course I said to her servant-maid that you were not at home. She came back in the evening, and seemed much disappointed that you were still absent. Then she returned again, saying that her mistress was ill and wished to consult you upon business."
"And what did you tell her, Mrs. Kenrick?"
"That you had not returned, sir," answered the housekeeper, surprised at the question, as if there were any thing else to tell save the truth. "The servant-maid seemed more and more disappointed, and called again as early as eight o'clock this morning."
"This morning!" echoed Reginald, seriously annoyed at this repetition of visits from Lady Cecilia's confidential servant.
"Yes, sir; and when I said that you had not been home all night, she appeared quite surprised," continued the housekeeper.
"And you told her that I had not been home all night?" mused Reginald. "What must Lady Cecilia think?"
"Think, sir?" cried the housekeeper, more surprised still at her master's observations. "You can owe no account of your actions, sir, to Lady Cecilia Harborough."