"Let me see you alone," said Chester, earnestly. "Certainly not, sir. Have the goodness to say what is your business here." "You know it is impossible," cried Chester. "See me alone--send this man away." "Stay where you are, Mr Roach," said the housekeeper, who might, from her calm, dignified manner, have been the mistress of the house. "Are you not making some mistake, sir? Mr Clareborough evidently does not know you." "Nor you either?" said Chester, sarcastically. "I, sir? Certainly not," replied the housekeeper. Chester stared at her angrily. "Do you dare to tell me this?" he cried. "Come, sir, none of that, please," said the butler, interfering. "We can't have you always coming here and asking to see people who don't want to see you." "Stand back, you insolent scoundrel!" cried Chester, turning upon the butler fiercely; and the man obeyed on the instant. "There is no occasion to make a scene, sir," said the housekeeper, gently. "Pray be calm. You have, I see, made a mistake. Had you not better go home and write to Mr Clareborough? If your business is important, he will, no doubt, make an appointment to meet you." "But you!" cried Chester, returning to the attack, "you deny that you know me?" "Certainly, sir, I do not know you," replied the housekeeper. "Had you not better dismiss this man?" "No, no," said the housekeeper, smiling; and there was a very sweet look on her handsome old face. "There is no occasion for that. Pray take my advice; go back home and write what you wish to say." "After what has passed, madam, I can hold no communication with Mr Clareborough." "Indeed! Well, sir, of course all you say is foreign to me, but I must tell you that it seems the only course open; so much can be done by letter." "Then, as I understand," said Chester, more quietly, "you refuse to give me a few words alone?" "Yes, sir; you can have nothing to say to me that Mr Roach, the butler, may not hear." Chester looked at the woman fixedly, but she met his gaze in the calmest way--not a muscle moved, not a nerve quivered. "Very well," he said at last, "I see you are determined to ignore the past entirely." The housekeeper made a slight deprecatory movement toward him, and then signed the butler to open the door, which he did with alacrity, but Chester stood fast, looking past the housekeeper toward the end of the hall, where there was the opening into the great dining-room, the scene of the strange adventure when he first came to the house.