There was one member of the household, however, who did not get on with the new footman—this was the lady’s maid, Hester Winsome. She was a rather pretty girl, and she took great pains to make herself attractive when she supped in the servants’ hall. On these occasions she had been accustomed to delicate attentions from the now absent George. Hester was a flirt, and she liked a good-looking young footman to pay her attention. She regretted George, but was abundantly willing to allow Jacob to take his place. But Jacob did not see this at first. He gave Hester one or two apparently indifferent glances, read her through and through, and then determined to have nothing whatever to do with her. Hester bore this at first without complaint, but after struggling against her fate for quite three weeks, she became restive. As Jacob would not confide in her, she began to make him confidences. “Why, you have never been all round the house yet,” she said to him at supper, on the day on which Rowton came home. “How do you know that?” he asked her. “How do I know it?” she retorted, lowering her voice, and edging close to his side. “If you had even tried to go all over the house you’d be asking questions, my fine fellow.” “And how do you know I have not asked questions?” replied Jacob. “I’ll trouble you, Miss Winsome, to pass me the sardines.” Hester pouted, stretched out her hand for the delicacy which Jacob demanded, and after a time continued in a low voice: “Well, then, if you have been over the house, and if you have asked questions, tell me what you think of the Queen Anne wing?” To this query Jacob did not immediately respond. After a long pause he said slowly: “I have not been in the wing yet—can you take me there?” Hester’s heart gave a sudden throb of delight. Up to the present, deep as she undoubtedly was, she had never suspected Jacob to be any other than a well-behaved and excellent servant. She now saw a chance of getting him into her power, of forcing him to flirt with her, and her spirits rose. “It is difficult to get into that part of the house,” she said. “Do not say anything more at present. I will come to you if I can at nine o’clock to-morrow in Vickers’ pantry.” Jacob made no reply at all to this, and Hester did not even know if he heard her. At the appointed hour, however, she made her appearance at the door of the pantry. She held a key in her hand. “I saw Leah half an hour ago,” she said. “Leah! and who is Leah?” asked Jacob. “She is the poor mad lady’s caretaker.” Jacob began to polish up his silver—he held a chamois leather in his hand. “Now that’s curious,” he said in a slow voice; “so you keep a mad lady on the premises?” “That we do—she is in the Queen Anne wing.” “You don’t say so!” “I do. I can take you over the wing if you come at once.” “I can’t until I have put all this plate tidy.” “Oh, bother the plate,” said Hester. “Can’t you come at once?—the chance may go.”