"Then we may dismiss him from our minds. I think I saw a footman in the hall. How long has he been with you?"
"Just about three months."
"And what sort of a fellow is he?"
"I really could not tell you very much. He seems intelligent, quick and willing, and up to his work."
"Is your cook a man or a woman?"
"A woman. She has been with me since before my wife's death—that is to say, nearly ten years. You need have no suspicion of her."
"Housemaids?"
"Two. Both have been with me some time, and seem steady, respectable girls. There is also a kitchen maid; but she has been with me nearly as long as my cook, and I would stake my reputation on her integrity."
"Well, in that case, the only person who seems at all suspicious is the footman. May we have him up?"
"With pleasure. I'll ring for him."