Raised voices coming down the walk from the farmhouse aroused the masked man from his contemplation of Anne and the empty chain. As silently as he had come, he vanished into the night.
Curtis’ hail met with no response and climbing into the car, assisted by the farmer and his son, he found that Anne had fainted again.
CHAPTER XVI
A CRY IN THE NIGHT
“Why doesn’t God create an insect to destroy weeds,” mused Mrs. Meredith. Albeit not given to expressing her emotions aloud, she had acquired the habit of airing her wrath when alone by a sort of audible conversation under her breath which, unsuspected by her, Susanne had often utilized, thereby acquiring much desirable information quite unknown to her mistress.
“Susanne!” Mrs. Meredith raised her voice and her maid came out of Anne’s room and into the boudoir.
“Madame, you called?”
“Which bedroom have you given to Mrs. Hull for the night?”
“The pink bedroom, madame; across the corridor from zat of Doctaire Curtis,” explained Susanne, smoothing out a fold in her pretty apron.
“Oh, very well.” Mrs. Meredith consulted her watch. “It is late, Susanne; I have everything I wish, so do not wait for me. Good night.”