The Circular Staircase

"I appreciate your desire to have everything nice for him," I went on,

"but the next time, you might take the Limoges china It's more easily

duplicated and less expensive."

"I haven't a young man--not here." She had got her breath now, as I

had guessed she would. "I--I have been chased by a thief, Miss Innes."

"Did he chase you out of the house and back again?" I asked.

Then Rosie began to cry--not silently, but noisily, hysterically.

I stopped her by giving her a good shake.

"What in the world is the matter with you?" I snapped. "Has the day of

good common sense gone by! Sit up and tell me the whole thing." Rosie

sat up then, and sniffled.

"I was coming up the drive--" she began.

"You must start with when you went DOWN the drive, with my dishes and

my silver," I interrupted, but, seeing more signs of hysteria, I gave

in. "Very well. You were coming up the drive--"

"I had a basket of--of silver and dishes on my arm and I was carrying

the plate, because--because I was afraid I'd break it. Part-way up the

road a man stepped out of the bushes, and held his arm like this,

spread out, so I couldn't get past. He said--he said--'Not so fast,

young lady; I want you to let me see what's in that basket.'"

She got up in her excitement and took hold of my arm.

"It was like this, Miss Innes," she said, "and say you was the man.

When he said that, I screamed and ducked under his arm like this. He

caught at the basket and I dropped it. I ran as fast as I could, and

he came after as far as the trees. Then he stopped. Oh, Miss Innes,

it must have been the man that killed that Mr. Armstrong!"

"Don't be foolish," I said. "Whoever killed Mr. Armstrong would put as

much space between himself and this house as he could. Go up to bed

now; and mind, if I hear of this story being repeated to the other

maids, I shall deduct from your wages for every broken dish I find in

the drive."

I listened to Rosie as she went up-stairs, running past the shadowy

places and slamming her door. Then I sat down and looked at the

Coalport plate and the silver spoon. I had brought my own china and

silver, and, from all appearances, I would have little enough to take

back. But though I might jeer at Rosie as much as I wished, the fact

remained that some one had been on the drive that night who had no

business there. Although neither had Rosie, for that matter.

I could fancy Liddy's face when she missed the extra pieces of

china--she had opposed Rosie from the start. If Liddy once finds a

prophecy fulfilled, especially an unpleasant one, she never allows me

to forget it. It seemed to me that it was absurd to leave that china

dotted along the road for her to spy the next morning; so with a sudden

resolution, I opened the door again and stepped out into the darkness.

As the door closed behind me I half regretted my impulse; then I shut

my teeth and went on.