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192 woman gave a sharp little cry and then tried to cover it up by a bluff. 'I don't know what you mean, sir! I—I never heard'—

"He laughed that sneering laugh of his and interrupted her. 'I caught you listening at the head of the stairs one day and saw the expression on your face as you looked down at him. You looked as though you could kill him then. I'm not going to give you away; don't be afraid of that. Life and death are nothing to me, and I wouldn't ring the curtain down on this little melodrama for worlds. It amuses me immensely.'

"She lost all her deference then and snapped out at him. 'You—you're not human!' He only laughed at her again and said, 'Possibly not, but I don't want the fun spoiled. That's why I asked you to step in here for a moment; I wanted to warn you that the young man from Headquarters is no fool, and your English is altogether too good for a lady's maid. Better cultivate Jane a bit even if it does go against the grain, and copy her speech the next time he interviews you. That's all.'

"I tried to get a look at them through the crack in the door, but they weren't on a line with it; and the woman didn't reply for a full minute. When she did it was with all the old deference and a little bit added, as if she were mocking him. 'Very good, sir. Thank you, sir.' And with that she was gone.

"I was afraid he would come into the bathroom and catch me; but he walked up and down for a little, chuckling to himself, and then turned and left the room, and I heard him going down the front stairs, which were mended yesterday. That was my cue, and I beat it."