I had come in to wash up the
tea-things, and Jabez followed me. It was a cold, dark evening, and the
parlour fire had got low. By token, my lord, we were talking of you; you
had just gone away to be an ambassador, or something, and then we spoke
of the wild, strange, black man who had crept into the shed; and Jabez,
I remember, said he should acquaint Mr. Marris, if the fellow did not
take himself off. I had seen him that very evening, at dusk, for the
first time, when his great black face rose up against mine, nearly
frightening me to death. Jabez was angry at such a man's being there, and
said he should go up to Hartledon in the morning and see the steward.
Just then there came a tap at the kitchen door, and Jabez went to it.
It was the man; he had watched the servant out, and knew we were alone;
and he came into the kitchen, and asked if we did not know him. Jabez
did; he had seen Willy later than I had, and he recognized him; and the
man took off his black hair and great black whiskers, and I saw it was
Willy, and nearly fainted dead away."
There was a pause. Lord Hartledon did not speak, and she resumed, after a
little indulgence in her grief.
"And since then all our aim has been to hide the truth, to screen him,
and keep up the tale that we were afraid of the wild man. How it has
been done I know not: but I do know that it has nearly killed me.
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