“No, indeed, James.  I am sure if I had been in your place I should have stopped altogether.  Well, if that is so, it explains what she said in her letter about our not recognizing her; but how could she do such a thing, and what will come of it?”

“I have no idea how she managed to get there, Amy; but certainly she must have managed very cleverly somehow.  What she is there to do is clear enough.  She is going to search herself for the will.  Whether she will ever find it or not is another matter; but I can hardly believe she can succeed after the thorough search Tallboys said he made of the house.  Still that is what she means, I have not a shadow of doubt about it.”

“I should never have thought for a moment she was the sort of woman to undertake such a thing,” Mrs. Withers said.  “Why, she will have to do servant’s work, and to run all sorts of risks of being found out, and then I don’t know what they mightn’t do to her!”

“I don’t see that they could do much, my dear, unless perhaps they prosecuted her for obtaining the place with a false character, which I suppose she must have done.  Still it required no ordinary pluck for a woman to undertake such a scheme, and it will require patience and nerve to carry it through; but I don’t know that I agree with you that she is not the sort of woman I should have thought capable of undertaking such a business.  She was quiet enough when we met her in the town; but I believe from what I have heard that she was a high-spirited girl, and when we saw her, you know, she was on the eve of parting with her son.  As she was evidently wrapped up in him, that would of course make her more quiet and silent than usual.  I thought she bore up remarkably well, and admired the effort she made to prevent any display of her feeling marring the pleasant time we were having in London.”

“But how about Mabel, James?  Had we better tell her about this?  You see, if she happens to meet Mrs. Conway she might betray her secret—­might run up and address her by her name.”

“That is certainly a difficulty, my dear; and I don’t quite know what to do about it.  What do you think yourself?”

“I think we had better postpone the matter, James, by sending Mabel away for a bit.  You know my sister has asked her several times to go and stay with her on a visit at Bath.  We have never cared to let her go away from us; but I do think now that it will be a good thing for me to write to Harriet, and tell her that if it will be convenient for her to take Mabel, we shall be glad to send her to her for a few months in order that she may take lessons in French and music.  There are, of course, plenty of good masters there.  In that way we shall get rid of the necessity for speaking to Mabel about it at all, and I should think it likely that Mrs. Conway would have left the Hall long before she returns.”

“Perhaps she will, my dear, though I would not count upon that too much.  I imagine that as Mrs. Conway has had nerve and courage enough to propose and so far carry out this singular plan of hers, she will have resolution enough to continue to play her part till she either finds the will, or becomes thoroughly convinced that it is absolutely not to be found.”