190.' 'Is it necessary now to put in--well, _quite_ so much about Penelope ?' asked Elizabeth, as she took up her pen.
'What do you think ?' 'It seems a little long and dragged in.' Elizabeth looked critically at the paragraph.
'And we have now unravelled the web ?--we can do without her?
Yes--let her go!' said the Squire, in a tone of excessive complaisance.
* * * * * When the morning's work was done, and luncheon over, Elizabeth carried off Pamela to her room.

When Pamela emerged, she went in search of Forest, interviewed him in the gun-room, and then shutting herself up in the 'den' she wrote to Desmond.
'MY DEAR DEZZY--There are such queer things going on in this queer house! Yesterday Broomie gave warning, and father barricaded the park gates, and was perfectly mad, and determined not to listen to anybody.

In the middle of the night he and Forest took the barricade down, and to-day, Broomie is to be not only secretary, but land-agent, and anything else she pleases--queen, in fact, of all she surveys--including me.

But I am bound to say she had been very decent to me over it all.
She _wants_ me to do some of the housekeeping--and she has actually made father consent to my helping at the hospital every afternoon.

Of course I am awfully glad about that.