And Mrs. Tams, putting her frowsy head for an instant over the
hand-rail, stopped to adjure Mr. Batchgrew--
"Eh, mester; ye'd better stop where ye are awhile."
From the parlour came the faint sobbing of Rachel.
The two men had not a word to say. Mr. Batchgrew grunted, vacillating.
It seemed as if the majestic apparition of Mrs. Maldon had rebuked
everything that was derogatory and undignified in her trustee, and
that both he and Louis were apologizing to the empty hall for being
common, base creatures. Each of them--and especially Louis--had
the sense of being awakened to events of formidable grandeur whose
imminence neither had suspected. Still assuring himself that his
position was absolutely safe, Louis nevertheless was aware of a
sinking in the stomach. He could rebut any accusation. "And yet ...!"
murmured his craven conscience. What could be the enigma between Mrs.
Maldon and Rachel? He was now trying to convince himself that Mrs.
Maldon had in fact divided the money into two parts, of which he had
handled only one, and that the impressive mystery had to do with the
other part of the treasure, which he had neither seen nor touched.
How, then, could he personally be threatened? "And yet!.
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