He had not gone many steps from the house when there was a rustle amidst the trees he was passing; and a young and well-dressed man, so far as Mr. Conroy could see, who had been apparently peering through an opening in the trees, walked quickly away.
"He was watching the house," said Mr. Conroy to himself. "One of the spies, I suppose. What on earth is it that they want to find out?"
Dull enough felt Ella after Conroy's departure.
"I'll get a book," she said, shaking off her thoughts, which had turned on the man Conroy had seen behind the yew-tree: and she went to a distant room in search of one. Coming back with it, she saw the two housemaids, Martha and Ann, standing at the foot of the stairs which led up to the north wing. One of them held a candle, the other clung to her arm; both their faces were wearing an unmistakable look of terror.
"What is the matter?" she asked, going towards them.
"We've just heard something, Miss Ella," whispered Ann. "One of the bedroom-doors up there has just shut with a loud bang."
"And it sounded like the door of her room," spoke the other from her pale and frightened lips. "Miss Ella, I am sure it was."
"The door of whose room?" asked Miss Winter sharply, her own heart beating fast.
"Of Katherine's," answered both the maids together.
For a moment Ella could not command herself.