"Ach, then! It iss not to die we woult want you. But I thought my man said it wass just for the month you kem, and--my Good!--I haf let your roomss for the day after to-morrow," and her face had lost its usual smile and was full of distress and bewilderment. "You've let my rooms? Oh, come now!--But now I think of it, I believe I did say something about a month or so, when I spoke to John Philip. Well now, what will you do? Put me out into the road? Or can you find me somewhere else?--though I'm quite sure you'll not be able to find me any place as comfortable as this." "Whatt will we do?" she said, much disturbed, and gazed at him thoughtfully. Then, with sudden inspiration, "There iss the big house up the garden?" and looked at him hopefully. "But it's empty." "Everything iss there, and all ready for them to come any time they want to. It woult only mean making up a bed and you coult come here for your meals." "That would do first-rate if you can arrange it." "I will write to Mrs. Lee to-day and ask her to tell me by the telegraph. It will be all right." "That's all right then. Who's the wretched person who is turning me out of here?" "It is two leddies. They wrote to the Vicar, and he asked John Philip and he told my man." "Two ladies! Then I can't possibly have my meals in here. You'd better let me join you in the kitchen,"--a consummation he had been striving after for some time past, in fact ever since his literary instincts had shaken off the thrall and got their heads above the mists,--with a view, of course, of turning a more intimate knowledge of his surroundings to profitable account. But his hostess was jealous of her kitchen and would not hear of it. "There iss no need. I will arrange it, and you will tek your meals in here just as usual. Which room woult you like in the big house?" "I'll go up and have a look round. Does it make any difference to you which I choose? I'd like one with a balcony if it's all the same to you." "It iss all the sem, and I will get it ready for you as soon ass I hear from Mrs. Lee. You will not be afraid, all alone by yourself up there?" "Afraid? No. What is there to be afraid of?" "Och, I do not know. Only--all alone--sometimes one iss afraid--" "There aren't any ghosts about, are there?" "Ghosts? Noh!"--with a ghost of a laugh. "I do not believe in ghosts or any such things, though some people does. There are some people"--very scornfully--"will not go by the churchyard at night, and"--lest so sceptical a mind should provoke reprisal--"I do not know that I woult myself. And down by the Coupee--But the house there iss too new to have anything like that." "Well, if I see any I'll try and catch one and bring it down to breakfast." And so it was arranged that, if the permission of the owner of the Red House could be obtained, he should sleep there and come down to the cottage for his meals, Mrs. Carre undertaking that no inconvenience should thereby be caused to any of those concerned.