“I will go to my room and fetch it,” answered Mrs. Rowton.
She ran upstairs and entered her little boudoir. To her annoyance she found that her maid, Hester, was standing over her writing table. The girl had a duster in her hand which she began to use assiduously when Nancy appeared.
“I want this room—will you leave me?” said her mistress.
“Yes, ma’am, certainly. I was just dusting the ornaments on your table—I had no time to look after them properly this morning. I am going now to the conservatories to pick some fresh flowers for these vases.”
“Thank you. But leave me now,” said Nancy.
Hester slowly left the room. Mrs. Rowton hastily unlocked her secretary, and taking out her cheque book, filled in a cheque for the amount which Crossley had demanded, and went downstairs.
The detective took it without a word.
“I have just time to catch my train,” he said, looking at his watch as he spoke. “I shall expect to hear from you, madam, in a day or two with regard to the new footman.”
“Yes,” answered Nance. “You shall hear from me.”
The man left the library and a moment later his footsteps might have been heard crunching the gravel as he walked away.