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170 The old woman who had received him and the brigadier on their previous visit to the farm had come out into the corridor and was moving slowly towards the back of the house. In a few moments she returned with a much quicker step, and coming to the head of the staircase, called, in an anxious whisper—

"Ann!"

From the kitchen, at that moment, there came the sound of the flinging down of something heavy, with a noise that echoed in the old rafters above.

"Ann!" repeated the old woman more shrilly.

Ann's voice had a muffled sound, as she answered, as if she were speaking from a great distance—

"Hey, mother, is't you?"

"Ay, lass. There's summat wrong. I minded a while ago to have left the passage window open, with the rain coming in. And now I find it shut, and marks of a man's tread on the floor here!"

Ann's answer rang out sharp and clear—

"Right, mother. I'll see to't! Go you back to bed!"