toentrapherintoalsousingherspeech，andfailed。Effortsweremadetoinducehertoanswerquestionsrelatingtoherpastlifeinherhusband’stime。Sheflatlydeclinedtoreplytothem，oneandall。Atcertainintervals，strangeimpulsestogetaholidayawayfromthehouseappearedtoseizeher。Ifshewasresisted，shepassivelydeclinedtodoherwork。Ifshewasthreatenedwithdismissal，sheimpenetrablybowedherhead，asmuchastosay，“Givemetheword，andIgo。“Overandoveragain，LadyLundiehaddecided，naturallyenough，onnolongerkeepingsuchaservantasthis；butshehadneveryetcarriedthedecisiontoexecution。Acookwhoisaperfectmistressofherart，whoasksfornoperquisites，whoallowsnowaste，whoneverquarrelswiththeotherservants，whodrinksnothingstrongerthantea，whoistobetrustedwithuntoldgold——isnotacookeasilyreplaced。Inthismortallifeweputupwithmanypersonsandthings，asLadyLundieputupwithhercook。Thewomanlived，asitwere，onthebrinkofdismissal——butthusfarthewomankeptherplace——gettingherholidayswhensheaskedforthemwhich，todoherjustice，wasnotoftenandsleepingalwaysgowhereshemightwiththefamilywithalockeddoor，inaroombyherself。
　　HesterDethridgeadvancedslowlytothetableatwhichLadyLundiewassitting。Aslateandpencilhungatherside，whichsheusedformakingsuchrepliesaswerenottobeexpressedbyagestureorbyamotionofthehead。Shetookuptheslateandpencil，andwaitedwithstonysubmissionforhermistresstobegin。
　　LadyLundieopenedtheproceedingswiththeregularformulaofinquirywhichshehadusedwithalltheotherservants“DoyouknowthatMissSilvesterhasleftthehouse？“
　　Thecooknoddedherheadaffirmatively，“Doyouknowatwhattimesheleftit？“
　　Anotheraffirmativereply。ThefirstwhichLadyLundiehadreceivedtothatquestionyet。Sheeagerlywentontothenextinquiry。
　　“Haveyouseenhersincesheleftthehouse？“
　　Athirdaffirmativereply。
　　“Where？“
　　HesterDethridgewroteslowlyontheslate，insingularlyfirmuprightcharactersforawomaninherpositionoflife，thesewords：
　　“Ontheroadthatleadstotherailway。NightoMistressChew’sFarm。“
　　“WhatdidyouwantatChew’sFarm？“
　　HesterDethridgewrote：“Iwantedeggsforthekitchen，andabreathoffreshairformyself。“
　　“DidMissSilvesterseeyou？“
　　Anegativeshakeofthehead。
　　“Didshetaketheturningthatleadstotherailway？“
　　Anothernegativeshakeofthehead。
　　“Shewenton，towardthemoor？“
　　Anaffirmativereply。
　　“Whatdidshedowhenshegottothemoor？“
　　HesterDethridgewrote：“ShetookthefootpathwhichleadstoCraigFernie。“
　　LadyLundieroseexcitedlytoherfeet。TherewasbutoneplacethatastrangercouldgotoatCraigFernie。“Theinn!“exclaimedherladyship。“Shehasgonetotheinn!“
　　HesterDethridgewaitedimmovably。LadyLundieputalastprecautionaryquestion，inthesewords：
　　“Haveyoureportedwhatyouhaveseentoanybodyelse？“
　　Anaffirmativereply。LadyLundiehadnotbargainedforthat。
　　HesterDethridgeshethoughtmustsurelyhavemisunderstoodher。
　　“Doyoumeanthatyouhavetoldsomebodyelsewhatyouhavejusttoldme？“
　　Anotheraffirmativereply。
　　“Apersonwhoquestionedyou，asIhavedone？“
　　Athirdaffirmativereply。
　　“Whowasit？“
　　HesterDethridgewroteonherslate：“MissBlanche。“
　　LadyLundiesteppedback，staggeredbythediscoverythatBlanche’sresolutiontotraceAnneSilvesterwas，toallappearance，asfirmlysettledasherown。Herstep-daughterwaskeepingherowncounsel，andactingonherownresponsibility——herstep-daughtermightbeanawkwardobstacleintheway。ThemannerinwhichAnnehadleftthehousehadmortallyoffendedLadyLundie。Aninveteratelyvindictivewoman，shehadresolvedtodiscoverwhatevercompromisingelementsmightexistinthegoverness’ssecret，andtomakethempublicpropertyfromaparamountsenseofduty，ofcourseamongherowncircleoffriends。Buttodothis——withBlancheactingasmightcertainlybeanticipatedindirectoppositiontoher，andopenlyespousingMissSilvester’sinterests——wasmanifestlyimpossible。
　　Thefirstthingtobedone——andthatinstantly——wastoinformBlanchethatshewasdiscovered，andtoforbidhertostirinthematter。
　　LadyLundierangthebelltwice——thusintimating，accordingtothelawsofthehousehold，thatsherequiredtheattendanceofherownmaid。Shethenturnedtothecook——stillwaitingherpleasure，withstonycomposure，slateinhand。
　　“Youhavedonewrong，“saidherladyship，severely。“Iamyourmistress。Youareboundtoansweryourmistress——“
　　HesterDethridgebowedherhead，inicyacknowledgmentoftheprinciplelaiddown——sofar。
　　Thebowwasaninterruption。LadyLundieresentedit。
　　“ButMissBlancheis_not_yourmistress，“shewenton，sternly。
　　“YouareverymuchtoblameforansweringMissBlanche’sinquiriesaboutMissSilvester。“
　　HesterDethridge，perfectlyunmoved，wroteherjustificationonherslate，intwostiffsentences：“Ihadnoorders_not_toanswer。Ikeepnobody’ssecretsbutmyown。“
　　Thatreplysettledthequestionofthecook’sdismissal——thequestionwhichhadbeenpendingformonthspast。
　　“Youareaninsolentwoman!Ihavebornewithyoulongenough——I
　　willbearwithyounolonger。Whenyourmonthisup，yougo!“
　　InthosewordsLadyLundiedismissedHesterDethridgefromherservice。
　　Nottheslightestchangepassedoverthesinistertranquillityofthecook。Shebowedherheadagain，inacknowledgmentofthesentencepronouncedonher——droppedherslateatherside——turnedabout——andlefttheroom。Thewomanwasaliveintheworld，andworkingintheworld；andyetsofarasallhumaninterestswereconcernedshewasascompletelyoutoftheworldasifshehadbeenscreweddowninhercoffin，andlaidinhergrave。
　　LadyLundie’smaidcameintotheroomasHesterleftit。
　　“GoupstairstoMissBlanche，“saidhermistress，“andsayI
　　wantherhere。Waitaminute!“Shepaused，andconsidered。
　　Blanchemightdeclinetosubmittoherstep-mother’sinterferencewithher。Itmightbenecessarytoappealtothehigherauthorityofherguardian。“DoyouknowwhereSirPatrickis？“askedLadyLundie。
　　“IheardSimpsonsay，mylady，thatSirPatrickwasatthestables。“
　　“SendSimpsonwithamessage。MycomplimentstoSirPatrick——andIwishtoseehimimmediately。“
　　Thepreparationsforthedeparturetotheshooting-cottagewerejustcompleted；andtheonequestionthatremainedtobesettledwas，whetherSirPatrickcouldaccompanytheparty——whentheman-servantappearedwiththemessagefromhismistress。
　　“Willyougivemeaquarterofanhour，gentlemen？“askedSirPatrick。“InthattimeIshallknowforcertainwhetherIcangowithyouornot。“
　　Asamatterofcourse，theguestsdecidedtowait。TheyoungermenamongthembeingEnglishmennaturallyoccupiedtheirleisuretimeinbetting。WouldSirPatrickgetthebetterofthedomesticcrisis？orwouldthedomesticcrisisgetthebetterofSirPatrick？Thedomesticcrisiswasbacked，attwotoone，towin。
　　Punctuallyattheexpirationofthequarterofanhour，SirPatrickreappeared。Thedomesticcrisishadbetrayedtheblindconfidencewhichyouthandinexperiencehadplacedinit。SirPatrickhadwontheday。
　　“Thingsaresettledandquiet，gentlemen；andIamabletoaccompanyyou，“hesaid。“Therearetwowaystotheshooting-cottage。One——thelongest——passesbytheinnatCraigFernie。Iamcompelledtoaskyoutogowithmebythatway。
　　Whileyoupushontothecottage，Imustdropbehind，andsayawordtoapersonwhoisstayingattheinn。“
　　HehadquietedLadyLundie——hehadevenquietedBlanche。ButitwasevidentlyontheconditionthathewastogotoCraigFernieintheirplaces，andtoseeAnneSilvesterhimself。Withoutawordmoreofexplanationhemountedhishorse，andledthewayout。Theshooting-partyleftWindygates。
　　“YE’LLjustpermitmetoremindyeagain，youngleddy，thatthehottle’sfull——exceptin’onlythissettin’-room，andthebedchamberyonderbelongingtoit。“
　　Sospoke“MistressInchbare，“landladyoftheCraigFernieInn，toAnneSilvester，standingintheparlor，purseinhand，andofferingthepriceofthetworoomsbeforesheclaimedpermissiontooccupythem。
　　ThetimeoftheafternoonwasaboutthetimewhenGeoffreyDelamaynhadstartedinthetrain，onhisjourneytoLondon。
　　Aboutthetimealso，whenArnoldBrinkworthhadcrossedthemoor，andwasmountingthefirstrisinggroundwhichledtotheinn。
　　MistressInchbarewastallandthin，anddecentanddry。MistressInchbare’sunlovablehairclungfastroundherheadinwirylittleyellowcurls。MistressInchbare’shardbonesshowedthemselves，likeMistressInchbare’shardPresbyterianism，withoutanyconcealmentorcompromise。Inshort，asavagely-respectablewomanwhoplumedherselfonpresidingoverasavagely-respectableinn。
　　TherewasnocompetitiontointerferewithMistressInchbare。Sheregulatedherownprices，andmadeherownrules。Ifyouobjectedtoherprices，andrevoltedfromherrules，youwerefreetogo。
　　Inotherwords，youwerefreetocastyourself，inthecapacityofhouselesswanderer，onthescantymercyofaScotchwilderness。ThevillageofCraigFerniewasacollectionofhovels。ThecountryaboutCraigFernie，mountainononesideandmoorontheother，heldnosecondhouseofpublicentertainment，formilesandmilesround，atanypointofthecompass。NoramblingindividualbutthehelplessBritishTouristwantedfoodandshelterfromstrangersinthatpartofScotland；andnobodybutMistressInchbarehadfoodandsheltertosell。Amorethoroughlyindependentpersonthanthiswasnottobefoundonthefaceofthehotel-keepingearth。Themostuniversalofallcivilizedterrors——theterrorofappearingunfavorablyinthenewspapers——wasasensationabsolutelyunknowntotheEmpressoftheInn。Youlostyourtemper，andthreatenedtosendherbillforexhibitioninthepublicjournals。MistressInchbareraisednoobjectiontoyourtakinganycourseyoupleasedwithit。“Eh，man!sendthebillwhar’yelike，aslongasyepayitfirst。