The maid came so suddenly into the room that it gave her a violent shock. She started and looked around angrily.
"Why do you enter the room so rudely, without knocking, Ellen?"
"I beg pardon, madame. I knocked, but you did not hear, so I made bold to enter, because Miss Belmont sent me in a hurry."
"Well?"
"She desires to know if I shall get your things ready to go after Miss Carew's body?"
The woman spoke in an unmoved tone. Her mistress had taught her to hate the fair young heiress.
"She means to go?" interrogated Mrs. Carew.
"She is getting ready, madame, and told me you were going."
"Yes, of course, Ellen. In the absence of my husband and son, it is my harrowing duty." Mrs. Carew put her handkerchief to her dry eyes and sighed: "Make haste, Ellen."