There was no moving her--there was nothing more to be said. I signed

to Penelope to come away with me. We left her, as we had found her,

sweeping the corridor, like a woman in a dream.

"This is a matter for the doctor to look into," I said. "It's beyond

me."

My daughter reminded me of Mr. Candy's illness, owing (as you may

remember) to the chill he had caught on the night of the dinner-party.

His assistant--a certain Mr. Ezra Jennings--was at our disposal, to be

sure. But nobody knew much about him in our parts. He had been engaged

by Mr. Candy under rather peculiar circumstances; and, right or wrong,

we none of us liked him or trusted him. There were other doctors at

Frizinghall. But they were strangers to our house; and Penelope doubted,

in Rosanna's present state, whether strangers might not do her more harm

than good.

I thought of speaking to my lady. But, remembering the heavy weight of

anxiety which she already had on her mind, I hesitated to add to all the

other vexations this new trouble. Still, there was a necessity for doing

something. The girl's state was, to my thinking, downright alarming--and

my mistress ought to be informed of it. Unwilling enough, I went to her

sitting-room. No one was there. My lady was shut up with Miss Rachel. It

was impossible for me to see her till she came out again.

I waited in vain till the clock on the front staircase struck the

quarter to two. Five minutes afterwards, I heard my name called, from

the drive outside the house. I knew the voice directly. Sergeant Cuff

had returned from Frizinghall.




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