But now there's a
change it is quite time to drop it, or a rumor will be getting about
that we are afraid of any of our servants remaining for a moment alone
in the library."
"I wish we had never done it. I do wish we had never done it," Eleanor
murmured pitifully.
"I am ashamed of you, Eleanor," Miss Penfold said coldly. "You are
worse than a child with your laments and complainings. What have we
done? Nothing. We have no certainty that there is a will in existence;
and if we had, it's not our business to assist to carry out a
monstrous wrong against ourselves, and to put that woman's son as
master here. How many times have we talked this over, and it's always
the same. You keep on trembling at shadows."
"I should not care if it was not for the night, Charlotte. I am always
dreaming that Herbert is coming to my bedside and looking so stern and
angry, and saying, 'Let justice be done.'"
"Bah!" Miss Penfold said contemptuously. "You must eat less supper,
Eleanor. If you were not such a coward you would not dream such
things. I have no patience with your folly."
"I know it is foolish, Charlotte, but I can't help it; my nerves were
never as strong as yours. I quite agreed with you from the first about
it. I think it was infamous that Herbert should have passed us over,
and that it is not to be expected we should aid in the discovery of
such a wicked will.
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