She felt a curious interest in the fate of Scales, for whom in her own mind she had long prophesied evil, and when Birkinshaws' representative came she took care to be in the shop; her intention was to converse with him, and ascertain as much as was ascertainable, after Mr. Povey had transacted business. For this purpose, at a suitable moment, she traversed the shop to Mr. Povey's side, and in so doing she had a fleeting view of King Street, and in King Street of a familiar vehicle. She stopped, and seemed to catch the distant sound of knocking. Abandoning the traveller, she hurried towards the parlour, in the passage she assuredly did hear knocking, angry and impatient knocking, the knocking of someone who thinks he has knocked too long. "Of course Maggie is at the top of the house!" she muttered sarcastically. She unchained, unbolted, and unlocked the side-door. "At last!" It was Aunt Harriet's voice, exacerbated. "What! You, sister? You're soon up. What a blessing!" The two majestic and imposing creatures met on the mat, craning forward so that their lips might meet above their terrific bosoms. "What's the matter?" Mrs. Baines asked, fearfully. "Well, I do declare!" said Mrs. Maddack. "And I've driven specially over to ask you!" "Where's Sophia?" demanded Mrs. Baines. "You don't mean to say she's not come, sister?" Mrs. Maddack sank down on to the sofa. "Come?" Mrs. Baines repeated. "Of course she's not come! What do you mean, sister?" "The very moment she got Constance's letter yesterday, saying you were ill in bed and she'd better come over to help in the shop, she started. I got Bratt's dog-cart for her." Mrs. Baines in her turn also sank down on to the sofa. "I've not been ill," she said. "And Constance hasn't written for a week! Only yesterday I was telling her--" "Sister--it can't be! Sophia had letters from Constance every morning. At least she said they were from Constance. I told her to be sure and write me how you were last night, and she promised faithfully she would. And it was because I got nothing by this morning's post that I decided to come over myself, to see if it was anything serious." "Serious it is!" murmured Mrs. Baines. "What--" "Sophia's run off. That's the plain English of it!" said Mrs. Baines with frigid calm. "Nay! That I'll never believe. I've looked after Sophia night and day as if she was my own, and--" "If she hasn't run off, where is she?" Mrs. Maddack opened the door with a tragic gesture. "Bladen," she called in a loud voice to the driver of the waggonette, who was standing on the pavement. "Yes'm." "It was Pember drove Miss Sophia yesterday, wasn't it?" "Yes'm." She hesitated. A clumsy question might enlighten a member of the class which ought never to be enlightened about one's private affairs. "He didn't come all the way here?" "No'm. He happened to say last night when he got back as Miss Sophia had told him to set her down at Knype Station."