"My name mentioned in a conversation between Miss Deane and Mr. Pomeroy! What could they have to say about me?"
She was trembling more than ever now, and to hide it was obliged to sit down on the chair recently vacated by Pod.
"You know, miss," said Pod, with an air of self-justification, "I am not in the habit of listening to conversations that it is not intended I should hear, and it was only the mention of your name, and a certain remark that was made about you, that made me do so in this case."
"But they could have nothing to say about me--nothing, that is, of any consequence either to you or me."
"Well, I can only say this, that neither Miss Deane nor Mr. Pomeroy mean any good to you, and I want to put you on your guard against them."
Eleanor could not speak for a moment or two. What terrible abyss was this which seemed opening at her feet?
"But what do you mean by putting me on my guard against Miss Deane and Mr. Pomeroy?"
"What I say is this: beware of both of them. Both of them are snakes in the grass."
"You are a very strange young man, and cannot surely know what you are saying," urged poor Eleanor. "I am quite sure that there must be a great mistake somewhere."
"No mistake whatever, miss. If I leave my situation to-morrow, I'll tell you. Mr. Pomeroy had been away from England for some time, and when he first came to my master, about four months ago, he hadn't a penny in the world."