‘Oh, hush, Leah! please forgive me; but you made me so angry.’

‘From saying to him,’ persisted Leah remorselessly, “’You are all of you wrong about Mr. Eric.  You have hunted the poor boy out of the house, and driven him crazy among you; and if he has drowned himself, as folk believe, his death lies at Miss Etta’s door.  It was she who stole the cheque.  I saw her take it with my own eyes, only she begged me on her knees not to betray her; and just then Mr. Eric came in with his letter, and the devil entered into me to cast the suspicion on him."’

‘Leah,’ in a voice of deadly terror, ’for God’s sake be silent! if any one should hear us!  There was a crackling just now in the bushes.  Leah, you were good to my mother:  how can you be so cruel to me?’

‘It is no use your whining to me, Miss Etta,’ returned the same hard, dogged voice; ’Bob must have that money.  When I promised to keep your disgraceful secret,—­when I stood by and helped you ruin that poor boy, and Bob cashed your cheque,—­I named my price.  I wanted to keep Bob out of mischief, but his bad companions were too much for him.  Now are you going to get that money for me or not?’

‘I dare not ask Giles for more,’ replied Miss Darrell, and I could hear she was crying.  ’I gave you half the housekeeping money last week and the week before.  If Giles looks at my accounts I am undone.’

’And there was that cheque that you were to send Miss Gladys when she was at Bournemouth, and for which she sent that pretty message of thanks,’ interposed Leah, with a sneer.  ’Shall I tell master where that has gone, Miss Etta?  And you to speak of my poor Bob because he is at Millbank!’

‘Leah, you are killing me,’ renewed Miss Darrell.  ’I might as well die as go on living like this.  You are always threatening to turn against me, and I give you money whenever you ask me.  You shall have my gold bracelet with the emerald star.  It was my mother’s and it will fetch a good deal.  I cannot get more from Giles now.  He is not like himself just now, and I dare not make him angry.’

’Oh, you have tried your hand there, Miss Etta.  No, I am not asking you, so you need not tell me any lies.  I knew all about it when you sent me up to Hyde Park Gate to spy on my young lady.  I have worked willingly for you there.  I’ve hated Miss Garston ever since I set eyes on her.  She is a sharp one, I tell you that, Miss Etta.  She means to bring these two together, and she will do it in spite of you.’

‘I wish I were dead!’ moaned Miss Darrell.

But I did not dare to linger another moment.  My heart was beating so loudly that I feared it would betray me.  The faint stir of the bushes turned me sick, for I thought they might be moving from their seat.  Not for worlds would I have confronted them alone in that dark asphalt walk.  My fears were absurd, but I felt as though Leah were capable of strangling me.  Granted that this terror was