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Page 9
"I have before said," returned she, paling however as she spoke, "that
Mr. Blake takes very little interest in his servants."
I cast another glance about the room. "How long have you been in this
house?" asked I.
"I was in the service of Mr. Blake's father and he died a year ago."
"Since when you have remained with Mr. Blake himself?"
"Yes sir."
"And this Emily, when did she come here?"
"Oh it must be eleven months or so ago."
"An Irish girl?"
"O no, American. She is not a common person, sir."
"What do you mean by that? That she was educated, lady-like, pretty,
or what?"
"I don't know what to say. She was educated, yes, but not as you
would call a lady educated. Yet she knew a great many things the rest
of us did'nt. She liked to read, you see, and--O sir, ask the girls
about her, I never know what to say when I am questioned."
I scanned the gray-haired woman still more intently than I had yet
done. Was she the weak common-place creature she seemed, or had she
really some cause other than appeared for these her numerous breaks
and hesitations.
"Where did you get this girl?" I inquired. "Where did she live before
coming here?"
"I cannot say, I never asked her to talk about herself. She came to me
for work and I liked her and took her without recommendation."
"And she has served you well?"
"Excellently."
"Been out much? Had any visitors?"
She shook her head. "Never went out and never had any visitors."
I own I was nonplussed, "Well," said I, "no more of this at present. I
must first find out if she left this house alone or in company with
others." And without further parley I stepped out upon the roof of the
extension.
As I did so I debated with myself whether the case warranted me or not
in sending for Mr. Gryce. As yet there was nothing to show that the
girl had come to any harm. A mere elopement with or without a lover
to help her, was not such a serious matter that the whole police force
need be stirred up on the subject; and if the woman had money, as she
said, ready to give the man who should discover the whereabouts of
this girl, why need that money be divided up any more than was
necessary. Yet Gryce was not one to be dallied with. He had said,
send for him if the affair seemed to call for his judgment, and
somehow the affair did promise to be a trifle complicated. I was yet
undetermined when I reached the edge of the roof.
It was a dizzy descent, but once made, escape from the yard beneath
would be easy. A man could take that road without difficulty; but a
woman! Baffled at the idea I turned thoughtfully back, when I beheld
something on the roof before me that caused me to pause and ask myself
if this was going to turn out to be a tragedy after all. It was a
drop of congealed blood. Further on towards the window was another,
and yes, further still, another and another. I even found one upon
the very window ledge itself. Bounding into the room, I searched the
carpet for further traces. It was the worst one in the world to find
anything upon of the nature of which I was seeking, being a confused
pattern of mingled drab and red, and in my difficulty I had to stoop
very low.
"What are you looking for?" cried Mrs. Daniels.
I pointed to the drop on the window sill. "Do you see that?" I asked.
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