The sole acknowledgment he made of her approach was to withdraw his foot from the stirrup and stand waiting.
"You know something," he said, looking cold and hard in her face.
"About what ?" returned Mary, recovering herself; she was careful, for Letty's sake, to feel her way.
"I hope to goodness," returned Godfrey, almost fiercely, yet with a dash of rude indifference, "_you_ are not concerned in this--business!"-- he was about to use a bad adjective, but suppressed it.
"I _am_ concerned in it," said Mary, with perfect quietness.
"You knew what was going on ?" cried Wardour.

"You knew that fellow there came prowling about Thornwick like a fox about a hen-roost?
By Heaven! if I had but suspected it--" "No, Mr.Wardour," interrupted Mary, already catching a glimpse of light, "I knew nothing of that." "Then what do you mean by saying you are concerned in the matter ?" Mary thought he was behaving so unlike himself that a shock might be of service.
"Only this," she answered, "-- that Letty is now lying in my room, whether dead or alive I am in doubt.

She must have spent the night in the open air--and that without cloak or bonnet." "Good God!" cried Godfrey.

"And you could leave her like that!" "She is attended to," replied Mary, with dignity.

"There are worse evils to be warded than death, else I should not be here; there are hard judgments and evil tongues .-- Will you come and see her, Mr.
Wardour ?" "No," answered Godfrey, gruffly.
"Shall I send a note to Mrs.Wardour, then ?" "I will tell her myself." "What would you have me do about her ?" "I have no concern in the matter, but I suppose you had better send for a doctor.