'Are you sure?' said Captain Lake, peeping toward that apartment over the old woman's shoulder. 'Certain sure, Master Stanley.' 'Well, come up stairs to your mistress's room,' said Lake, mounting the stairs, with his hat in his hand, and on tip-toe, like a man approaching a sick chamber. There was something I think grim and spectral in this ceremonious ascent to the empty chamber. Children had once occupied that silent floor for there was a little balustraded gate across the top of the staircase. 'I keep this closed,' said old Tamar, 'and forbid her to cross it, lest she should disturb the mistress. Heaven forgive me!' 'Very good,' he whispered, and he peeped over the banister, and then entered Rachel's silent room, darkened with closed shutters, the white curtains and white coverlet so like 'the dark chamber of white death.' He had intended speaking to Tamar there, but changed his mind, or rather could not make up his mind; and he loitered silently, and stood with the curtain in his gloved hand, looking upon the cold coverlet, as if Rachel lay dead there. 'That will do,' he said, awaking from his wandering thought. 'We'll go down now, Tamar.' And in the same stealthy way, walking lightly and slowly, down the stairs they went, and Stanley entered the kitchen. 'How do you do, Margery? You'll be glad to hear your mistress is better. You must run down to the town, though, and buy some jelly, and you are to bring her back change of this.' And he placed half-a-crown in her hand. 'Put on your bonnet and my old shawl, child; and take the basket, and come back by the side door,' croaked old Tamar. So the girl dried her hands--she was washing the teacups--and in a twinkling was equipped and on her way to Gylingden. CHAPTER XXII. IN WHICH CAPTAIN LAKE MEETS A FRIEND NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE. Lake had no very high opinion of men or women, gentle or simple. 'She listens, I dare say, the little spy,' said he. 'No, Master Stanley! She's a good little girl.' 'She quite believes her mistress is up stairs, eh?' 'Yes; the Lord forgive me--I'm deceiving her.' He did not like the tone and look which accompanied this. 'Now, my good old Tamar, you really can't be such an idiot as to fancy there can be any imaginable wrong in keeping that prying little slut in ignorance of that which in no wise concerns her. This is a critical matter, do you see, and if it were known in this place that your young mistress had gone away as she has done--though quite innocently--upon my honour--I think it would blast her. You would not like, for a stupid crotchet, to ruin poor Radie, I fancy.' 'I'm doing just what you both bid me,' said the old woman. 'You sit up stairs chiefly?' She nodded sadly. 'And keep the hall door shut and bolted?' Again she nodded. 'I'm going up to the Hall, and I'll tell them she's much better, and that I've been in her room, and that, perhaps, she may go up to see them in the morning.' Old Tamar shook her head and groaned.