truth. She drew closer to Orphanstrange.
Each deep in his or her own reflections, the conspirators were as yet unaware that they were not alone in the cold chapel. Silently, the intruder padded forward, paused to look curiously around. No fear or shadows or dark corners smote this worthy, whose keen eyes were accustomed to penetrating deeper gloom. Of even less interest were the people clustered around the pulpit. Calliope, that intrepid hunter, was in search of a late-night snack.
A faint rustling sound from beneath the carved canopy caught the cat’s keen ear. She slunk forward, belly practically dragging on the stone floor.
“A piece of paper, ecod!” ventured Delphine, who had not for a single instant been asleep. “Such as a—” The remainder of her comment was lost in a shrill scream. Before Orphanstrange and Minette had time to react, she erupted from beneath the canopy, with a speed and agility that belied her advanced years. Minette could not repress a nervous giggle. Clinging to Delphine’s towering befeathered hat was a very startled-looking cat.
“Save me!” shrieked Delphine, and flung herself at the astonished Orphanstrange. “'Tis a demon from hell!”
Minette nudged the valet with her elbow. “Certainly we will save you—and in return you will tell us what you have found out, eh, Delphine?”
Even Delphine’s innate perversity was not proof against her fear of felines. “Anything!”
Grinning, Minette reached up for Calliope, who refused to part company with Delphine’s hat. A brief tussle ensued. A few short moments later, Delphine’s powdered hair was considerably disheveled and Minette’s arms were filled with befeathered hat and irate feline. The cat, she hastily set down. Calliope stalked off into the darkness, all offended dignity. “Faith, but I’ve a palpitation!” moaned Delphine.
With the hand that didn’t clutch a bedraggled hat, Minette twitched the claret bottle out of Delphine’s grasp. “After you have confided in us, you may refresh yourself. What about a piece of paper, eh?”
Lower lip protruding, Delphine looked very much like a recalcitrant—and very elderly—child. “Demned if I should tell you that! You and your clever letters— better I should tell this Vashti twit that you’ve pulled the wool over her eyes.”
From this hostile statement, Minette concluded that the old woman’s feelings had been stung. Amazing! Minette had not thought Delphine capable of any emotion other than spite. “You are angry that I have been more clever than you, hein?”
“Clever!” Delphine’s sharp nose twitched. “If you was so clever, gel, you wouldn’t be barking at the moon.”
Again Orphanstrange felt constrained to prevent his companions coming to fisticuffs. “You had already said you meant to take up residence in your secret room, Madame Delphine. Miss Minette saw no reason to charge Master Marmaduke’s heiress with your upkeep also, especially since Mademoiselle Beaufils has no notion you exist.”
Thus reminded of her own cleverness, Delphine retracted her outthrust lip. All in all, it was not proving so easy as she had anticipated to move undetected around an occupied house. “We struck a bargain,” Minette reminded her. “You’ll keep your part of it if you want your hat back.”
Delphine wasn’t certain she wished to reclaim that item, so bedraggled had it become. Still, a bonnet was a bonnet, and she was unlikely to soon come by more. “'Tis only a memorandum,” she muttered, and snatched at her hat.
“A memorandum.” So Delphine had overheard Minette’s conversation with Edouard. “But how?”
“How do you think I heard of it, pea-brain?” Delphine’s thoughts were largely occupied with the reclamation of her bonnet. “Stirling accused the upstart of something to do with a memorandum, and you needn’t ask me what! He also made a violent attack on her virtue, and proper betwattled she was—or so she made out!”
Without
Each deep in his or her own reflections, the conspirators were as yet unaware that they were not alone in the cold chapel. Silently, the intruder padded forward, paused to look curiously around. No fear or shadows or dark corners smote this worthy, whose keen eyes were accustomed to penetrating deeper gloom. Of even less interest were the people clustered around the pulpit. Calliope, that intrepid hunter, was in search of a late-night snack.
A faint rustling sound from beneath the carved canopy caught the cat’s keen ear. She slunk forward, belly practically dragging on the stone floor.
“A piece of paper, ecod!” ventured Delphine, who had not for a single instant been asleep. “Such as a—” The remainder of her comment was lost in a shrill scream. Before Orphanstrange and Minette had time to react, she erupted from beneath the canopy, with a speed and agility that belied her advanced years. Minette could not repress a nervous giggle. Clinging to Delphine’s towering befeathered hat was a very startled-looking cat.
“Save me!” shrieked Delphine, and flung herself at the astonished Orphanstrange. “'Tis a demon from hell!”
Minette nudged the valet with her elbow. “Certainly we will save you—and in return you will tell us what you have found out, eh, Delphine?”
Even Delphine’s innate perversity was not proof against her fear of felines. “Anything!”
Grinning, Minette reached up for Calliope, who refused to part company with Delphine’s hat. A brief tussle ensued. A few short moments later, Delphine’s powdered hair was considerably disheveled and Minette’s arms were filled with befeathered hat and irate feline. The cat, she hastily set down. Calliope stalked off into the darkness, all offended dignity. “Faith, but I’ve a palpitation!” moaned Delphine.
With the hand that didn’t clutch a bedraggled hat, Minette twitched the claret bottle out of Delphine’s grasp. “After you have confided in us, you may refresh yourself. What about a piece of paper, eh?”
Lower lip protruding, Delphine looked very much like a recalcitrant—and very elderly—child. “Demned if I should tell you that! You and your clever letters— better I should tell this Vashti twit that you’ve pulled the wool over her eyes.”
From this hostile statement, Minette concluded that the old woman’s feelings had been stung. Amazing! Minette had not thought Delphine capable of any emotion other than spite. “You are angry that I have been more clever than you, hein?”
“Clever!” Delphine’s sharp nose twitched. “If you was so clever, gel, you wouldn’t be barking at the moon.”
Again Orphanstrange felt constrained to prevent his companions coming to fisticuffs. “You had already said you meant to take up residence in your secret room, Madame Delphine. Miss Minette saw no reason to charge Master Marmaduke’s heiress with your upkeep also, especially since Mademoiselle Beaufils has no notion you exist.”
Thus reminded of her own cleverness, Delphine retracted her outthrust lip. All in all, it was not proving so easy as she had anticipated to move undetected around an occupied house. “We struck a bargain,” Minette reminded her. “You’ll keep your part of it if you want your hat back.”
Delphine wasn’t certain she wished to reclaim that item, so bedraggled had it become. Still, a bonnet was a bonnet, and she was unlikely to soon come by more. “'Tis only a memorandum,” she muttered, and snatched at her hat.
“A memorandum.” So Delphine had overheard Minette’s conversation with Edouard. “But how?”
“How do you think I heard of it, pea-brain?” Delphine’s thoughts were largely occupied with the reclamation of her bonnet. “Stirling accused the upstart of something to do with a memorandum, and you needn’t ask me what! He also made a violent attack on her virtue, and proper betwattled she was—or so she made out!”
Without
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