"I beg yours, sir, for my intrusion," she answered, civilly. "I only had a little errand with Miss Hereford. Will you"—turning to me—"kindly let me have my embroidery scissors, if you have done with them?"
I took them from my basket and gave them to her. "Thank you, Mrs. Penn, for the loan of them. They cut my strip of work nicely."
"It is a chilly evening," she remarked, moving to depart. "I fancy we are going to have rain."
Mr. Chandos opened the door for her, and when she left slipped the bolt. Ere he was half way across the room on his return, however, he went back and undid it, some reflection appearing to strike him. His brow was stern and displeased.
"That Mrs. Penn is a curious woman!"
"Curious! In what way, sir? Do you mean her hair?"
He slightly laughed. "I spoke the word literally, Anne. She came in, I fancy, just to see what was going on, the scissors being the excuse."
"She complains of its being so dull in the east wing. I think she is glad to escape from it for a moment when she can."
"Ay, no doubt; we must not be harsh upon her. She is a contrast to Mrs. Freeman, who never put herself into anybody's way. I wish I could discover the author of these losses in the house," he continued, passing to another subject. "Had it been alone the looking into letters or stealing them, I might have suspected Edwin Barley. That is, that some one was at work for him here. That he would like to get my private memoranda into his fingers, and peep at my letters, I know; but he could have no possible motive for causing lace and money to be stolen."
My head was full of Lizzy Dene, and I thought the time had come for me to speak. Ah, what would I not tell him in the bond of confidence that seemed to be established between us.