“Why,” said he, “a--hem--a--a--I didn't look--but I'll tell you what, Nanny, I think you look as if you were in possession of some secret. I say so, and don't imagine you can for a moment impose upon me. I know what your father had in his bag.” “Well then, if you do, sir,” she replied, “you know the saycrit.” “So there is a secret, then?” “So you say, Masther Hycy.” “Nanny,” he proceeded, “it occurs to me now that you never underwent a formal examination about this robbery that took place in our house.” “That wasn't my fault,” she replied; “I mostly happened to be out.” “Well, but do you know anything about it?” “Not a thing--no more than yourself, Mr. Hycy.” Her interrogator turned upon her a hard scrutinizing glance, in which it was easy to see that she read a spirit of strong and dissatisfied suspicion. She was evidently conscious of this; for as Hycy stood gazing upon her, she reddened, and betrayed unequivocal symptons of confusion. “Because, Nanny,” he proceeded, “if you knew anything about it, and didn't mention it at once to the family, you would be considered as one of the robbers.” “An' wouldn't I be nearly as bad if I didn't?” she replied; “surely the first thing I'd do would be to tell.” “It's very strange,” observed Hycy, “that such a robbery could be committed in a house where there are so many servants, without any clue whatsoever to a discovery.” “Well, I don't agree with you there, Mr. Hycy--if what your father and mother an' all o' them say is true--that it wasn't often the hall-door was bolted at night; and that they can't say whether it was fastened on that night or not. Sure if it wasn't, there was nothing to prevent any one from comin' in.” “Very true, Nanny,” he replied, “very true; and we have paid severely for our negligence.” This closed the conversation, but Hycy felt that, proceed from whatever source it might, it was impossible to dismiss certain vague suspicions as connected with the mendicant's daughter. He determined, however, to watch her narrowly; and somehow he could not divest himself of the impression that she saw through his design. This incident occurred a few days after the robbery.