"But his wife mistook the cause of his agitation. Forgotten in an
instant was the question she had asked, and upon which, she had placed
no sort of importance; and she went to her husband and took his hand,
and gazed into his face, and asked him, for Heaven's sake, to tell her
what was the matter.
"He told her a lie. He faltered out between his chattering teeth, that
he feared he was struck with a congestive chill; that the sudden and
severe change in the weather had affected him;--and more to the same
effect.
"She hurried out and prepared a hot drink of brandy, boiling water, and
spices, and she brought it to him and made him drink it.
"Under this powerful stimulant he revived. But she had, in the fear and
excitement of the hour, utterly forgotten the inquiry she had put to
him, and no more would have been said of it, had not he, in fearful
interest, resumed the subject.
"'You were asking me about--one of the servants, were you not?' he
inquired.
"'Oh, yes. But never mind! sit still, and keep your feet to the fire
until you get warm. Never mind about gratifying my foolish curiosity
now,' she answered, thoughtfully.
"'My chill is already gone, thanks to your skilful nursing! What chill
could resist your warm draughts? But now about your question. What was
it?' "'Oh, nothing much! I only asked you who was the little girl with the
red cloak, who is so silent and shy that she never answers me when I
speak to her, and always shrinks away whenever she finds herself
observed.' "The trembling wretch was ready with his falsehood. He answered: "'Oh! she is the child of a poor couple on the mountain, and comes to
the house for cold victuals; but she is as you have observed, very shy;
so I think you had better leave her to herself.' "'Yes, but are you sure she is to be trusted? For shy as she is in
other matters, she is bold enough to intrude into the most private parts
of the house, and at the most untimely hours of the night,' remarked the
lady.
"'Indeed!' muttered the guilty man, in a sepulchral tone.
"'Indeed and indeed! Why, only last night, when we came home at
midnight, from Mrs. Judge Mayo's ball, when you lingered below stairs to
speak to the butler, and I ran up into my own room alone, I saw this
strange looking little creature, with the streaming black hair and the
red cloak, standing before my dressing-glass! Now what do you think of
that?' "'She--she--she has been a sort of a pet of the family, and has had the
run of the house, coming in and out of all the rooms at all hours, like
any little dog,' answered the conscious criminal, in a quavering voice.