The two old ladies sat with their hands clasped and their mouths open. Neither of them had the courage to pull up the blind, and watch if on a third repetition the sound should be accompanied by any sight. In a few seconds a louder, harder thud, preceded by no rubbing on the window, and followed by a noise as of some one running on the gravel, appalled the two old dames. Screaming, they flew to the kitchen, where Mrs. Cherry left her friend, and hurrying to the dining-room, in her fright threw open the door without announcing herself, and interrupted so interesting a _tete-a-tete_. Miss Jane, by dint of interrogation and remorseless interruption, which sometimes failed in its object--that of restoring to Mrs. Cherry the thread of her story--at length understood, discarding a vast quantity of irrelevant information, that the two women had been frightened by strange noises at the window of the housekeeper's room. Shrewdly guessing as to its cause, she was proceeding with Dempster to institute a formal investigation into the mystery, when a much more incomprehensible affair met her in the hall. This is what she saw: Lee and Briscoe carrying the body of a man--who might be dead or unconscious, and whose face was covered with a handkerchief--and followed by a tall comely woman, sobbing bitterly. They passed upstairs. Miss Jane, Dempster, and the housekeeper were still standing at the door of the dining-room, amazed and silent, when Lee came down. 'You must allow this to pass unquestioned at present,' he said loftily. 'It is a very serious and sorrowful matter, and I would prefer to explain it to-morrow.' 'Very well, Henry,' said Miss Jane, even more loftily, 'you know your own affairs best. By-the-bye,' she added, as if it were a matter of course, 'from what Mrs. Cherry tells me, I think Muriel has jumped out of the window.' 'By Jove! Where should she go?' 'To the north wall, of course.' 'To be sure.' Snatching a riding-whip from a rack, he strode to the door, but turned and said, 'This must be left entirely to me--entirely,' he repeated as Miss Jane began to remonstrate. She was much huffed, but withdrew into the dining-room with Dempster, and the housekeeper returned to her room.