Major Blunt, he wished to remain in the background? The wish, intelligible in

the first case, seemed to me quite meaningless here.

 

My meditations were interrupted by the advent of a smart parlormaid.

 

Yes, Mrs. Folliott was at home. I was ushered into a big drawing-room, and

looked round me curiously as I waited for the mistress of the house. A large

bare room, some good bits of old china, and some beautiful etchings, shabby

covers and curtains. A lady’s room in every sense of the term.

 

I turned from the inspection of a Bartolozzi on the wall as Mrs.

 

Folliott came into the room. She was a tall woman, with untidy brown hair, and a

very winning smile.

 

“Dr. Sheppard,” she said hesitatingly.

 

“That is my name,” I replied. “I must apologize for calling upon you like this,

but I wanted some information about a parlormaid previously employed by you,

Ursula Bourne.”

 

With the utterance of the name the smile vanished from her face, and all the

cordiality froze out of her manner. She looked uncomfortable and ill at ease.

 

“Ursula Bourne?” she said hesitatingly.