Miguel stared at them. He came nearer, putting his face close to his master’s, and stared harder.
“Mees Jane? You ask for Mees Jane?”
“Yes. Tell me, quick, do you know where she is?”
“Mees Jane mus’ be at house,” said Miguel, passing a hand over his eyes as if bewildered.
“She is not,” said Rudolph. “She is gone, and both her nurses are gone.”
“Inez gone?” repeated the old man, stupidly. “Ah; then she have carried away Mees Jane! I was ’fraid of that.”
“Carried her away! Why should she do that?” asked Arthur impatiently.
“She jealous of New York girl—Mees Travers. Inez say she kill Mees Travers; but I tell her no. I say better not. But Inez hate thees girl for taking Mees Jane away from her. Inez love baby, Meest Weld; too much to be safe nurse.”
While Arthur tried to comprehend this strange information Rudolph said to Miguel:
“Then you haven’t seen the baby? You don’t know where she is?”