Cook, she
doesn't give no opinion; but Martha and me both thought they knew
something about it, and were keeping Miss Withers and young Conway out
of their rights. But I forgot that you were a stranger, and didn't
know nothing about the will."
Then she told Mrs. Conway all about the will being missing, and how
Mr. Tallboys, who had made it for Mr. Penfold, said that all the
property had been left to Mabel Withers, who was the daughter of the
clergyman and a great pet of the master's, and to a boy who had been
staying there some months before, and whose name was Conway.
"Well, Martha and me believed that they," and she nodded toward the
drawing-room, "must know something about it; for Mr. Tallboys would
have it that it was stowed away in some secret hiding place, and has
been looking for it here and pulling down the wainscotting and all
sorts. And, of course, if there was a secret hiding-place the Miss
Penfolds would know of it as well as their brother. Martha used to
think that the reason why the Miss Penfolds had the room shut up, and
would never let her go into it without one of them being there to look
after her, was that the hiding-place was somewhere in the library, and
that they were afraid that when she was dusting and doing up she might
come upon the will."
The same conclusion had flashed across Mrs.
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