A vague doubt beset him whether
it was the governess, after all.
He roused himself, and, advancing a few paces, mentioned his
name. "May I ask," he added, "if I have the pleasure--?"
The lady met him easily and gracefully half-way. "Major Milroy's
governess," she said. "Miss Gwilt."
CHAPTER X
THE HOUSE-MAID'S FACE.
ALL was quiet at Thorpe Ambrose. The hall was solitary, the rooms
were dark. The servants, waiting for the supper hour in the
garden at the back of the house, looked up at the clear heaven
and the rising moon, and agreed that there was little prospect
of the return of the picnic party until later in the night. The
general opinion, led by the high authority of the cook, predicted
that they might all sit down to supper without the least fear of
being disturbed by the bell. Having arrived at this conclusion,
the servants assembled round the table, and exactly at the moment
when they sat down the bell rang.
The footman, wondering, went up stairs to open the door,
and found to his astonishment Midwinter waiting alone on the
threshold, and looking (in the servant's opinion) miserably ill.
He asked for a light, and, saying he wanted nothing else,
withdrew at once to his room.
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