She spoke with evident reluctance. Lionel, he scarcely knew why, leaped to the conclusion that she was about to say something regarding the subject then agitating Deerham--the ghost of Frederick Massingbird. Unconsciously to himself, the pleasant manner changed to one of constraint. "Say what you have to say, Mrs. Duff." "Well, sir--but I'm sure I beg a hundred thousand pardings for mentioning of it--it's about the bill," she answered, lowering her voice. "If I could be paid, sir, it 'ud be the greatest help to me. I don't know hardly how to keep on." No revelation touching the ghost could have given Lionel the surprise imparted by these ambiguous words. But his constraint was gone. "I do not understand you, Mrs. Duff. What bill?" "The bill what's owing to me, sir, from Verner's Pride. It's a large sum for me, sir--thirty-two pound odd. I have to keep up my payments for my goods, sir, whether or not, or I should be a bankrupt to-morrow. Things is hard upon me just now, sir; though I don't want everybody to know it. There's that big son o' mine, Dick, out o' work. If I could have the bill, or only part of it, it 'ud be like a God-send." "Who owes you the bill?" asked Lionel. "It's your good lady, sir, Mrs. Verner." "_Who?_" echoed Lionel, his accent quite a sharp one. "Mrs. Verner, sir." Lionel stood gazing at the woman. He could not take in the information; he believed there must be some mistake. "It were for things supplied between the time Mrs. Verner came home after your marriage, sir, and when she went to London in the spring. The French madmizel, sir, came down and ordered some on 'em; and Mrs. Verner herself, sir, ordered others." Lionel looked around the shop. He did not disbelieve the woman's words, but he was in a maze of astonishment. Perhaps a doubt of the Frenchwoman crossed his mind. "There's nothing here that Mrs. Verner would wear!" he exclaimed. "There's many odds and ends of things here, sir, as is useful to a lady's tilette--and you'd be surprised, sir, to find how such things mounts up when they be had continual. But the chief part o' the bill, sir, is for two silk gownds as was had of our traveller. Mrs. Verner, sir, she happened to be here when he called in one day last winter, and she saw his patterns, and she chose two dresses, and said she'd buy 'em of me if I ordered 'em. Which in course I did, sir, and paid for 'em, and sent 'em home. I saw her wear 'em both, sir, after they was made up, and very nice they looked." Lionel had heard quite enough. "Where is the bill?" he inquired.