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。