“Afraid that Mistress Mowbray was not pleased.”
“Fear not, Mistress Mowbray is an honest woman, she will approve of what thou hast said.”
Aline did not like to say more; she wondered whether she had misjudged the lady of Holwick, or whether the old man’s estimate was too charitable.
“God bless you, Aline,” he said, as she turned to go up the hill, and before entering the door he stood and watched her out of sight.
She went straight up to the Hall and found Audry. “I wonder what Ian is doing in Carlisle now,” said Aline. “Let us go down to the secret room. I have just met Sir Laurence Mortham. I think he looked sadder than ever, but he is a right gentle master. Do you remember that talk we had with Ian about our forebodings? I thought that it must have meant Ian’s departure, but it is something more than that. I felt it again strangely to-day when I met Father Laurence, and somehow it seemed to me as though there was some terrible conflict going on somewhere, and Father Laurence was trying to stop it, but that he could not do so.”
“Oh, do not talk like that, Aline, you do not know how creepy you make me feel. Come.”
“The room looks very melancholy now,” Audry said when they had descended. “I always associate this room with Master Menstrie. It seems very curious that we should discover him and the room at the same time.”
“It is very cold down here,” said Audry, “let us light a fire. That will do something to make the place more cheerful.”
“Are there any fires lit upstairs?” asked Aline, pointing to the inscription over the fireplace.