‘It was very good of you to defend the absent. Nothing but absolute necessity would have kept me away from this house even for two days. Has Miss Sivewright been quite well?’ Mrs. Wincher hesitated before replying, and Lucius repeated his question anxiously. ‘Well, yes; I can’t say as there’s been anythink amiss with her. Only yesterday evening,’ here Mrs. Wincher dropped her voice, and came very close to him, with a mysterious air, ‘between the lights—blind man’s holiday, as my good gentleman calls it in his jocose way—she gave me a bit of a turn. She’d been walking in the garden, and down by that blessed old wharf, where there’s nothink better than stagnant mud and strange cats for anybody to look at, and it might be just about as dark as it is now, when she came past the window of the boothouse, where I happened to be scouring my saucepans and such-like; for the work do get behindhand in this great barrack of a place. You know the boothouse, don’t you, Dr. Davory,—the little low building with the peaky roof, just beyond the laundry?’ ‘Yes, I know. Go on, pray.’ ‘Well, she came past the window, looking so pale and strange, with her hands clasped upon her forehead, as if she’d been struck all of a heap by somethink as had frightened her. I bounced out upon her sudding, and I suppose that scared her all the more; for she gave a little skreek, and seemed as if she’d have dropped on the ground. “Lor, Miss Lucille,” says I, “it’s only me. What in goodness name’s the matter?” But she turned it off in her quiet way, and said she’d only felt a little dull and lonesome-like without you. “Miss Lucille,” says I, “you look for all the world as if you’d seen a ghost.” And she looks at me with her quiet smile, and says, “People do see ghosts sometimes, Wincher; but I’ve seen none to-night;” and then all of a sudding she gives way, and busts out crying. “Astaricall,” says I; and I takes her into the parlour, and makes her lie down on the sofa, and biles up the kittle with half a bundle of wood, and makes her a cup of tea, and after that she comes round again all right. You mustn’t let out to her that I’ve told you about it, Dr. Davory; for she begged and prayed of me not to say a word, only I thought it my bonding duty to tell you.’ ‘And you were right, Mrs. Wincher. No, I’ll not betray you. This dismal old house is enough to blight any life. How I wish I could take her to a brighter home without delay!’ ‘I’m sure I wish you could,’ answered Mrs. Wincher heartily; ‘for I must say there never was a house that less repaid the trouble of cleaning, or weighed heavier on the spirits.’ This little exchange of confidences had taken place in the forecourt, where Mrs. Wincher had detained Mr. Davoren while she disburdened her bosom of its weight.