“She had been away—to school—since she was five.”
When Mrs. Mannheim left us a little later Vance had succeeded in allaying her apprehension and distress. He then sent for Ada.
As she entered the drawing-room the troubled look in her eyes and the pallor of her cheeks told clearly of the strain she was under. Her first question voiced the fear uppermost in her mind.
“Have you found out anything, Mr. Vance?” She spoke with an air of pitiful discouragement. “It’s terrible alone here in this big house—especially at night. Every sound I hear . . .”
“You mustn’t let your imagination get the better of you, Ada,” Vance counselled her. Then he added: “We know a lot more now than we did, and before long, I hope, all your fears will be done away with. In fact, it’s in regard to what we’ve found out that I’ve come here to-day. I thought perhaps you could help me again.”
“If only I could! But I’ve thought and thought. . . .”
Vance smiled.
“Let us do the thinking, Ada.—What I wanted to ask you is this: do you know if Sibella speaks German well?”
The girl appeared surprised.
“Why, yes. And so did Julia and Chester and Rex. Father insisted on their learning it. And he spoke it too—almost as well as he spoke English. As for Sibella, I’ve often heard her and Doctor Von talking in German.”