Page:Randall Parrish--My Lady of the South.djvu/311

AGAIN THE WOMAN "Did she tell you to pass me?"

"She did, sor, an' there's two horses outside, an' a clear field for the both of us."

"Well, O'Brien, I am not going," and my voice had the tone of determination. "Not now, at least; not until I can leave things in better shape here. I have n't any right to interfere with your escape, my boy, but I am going to clear up the mystery of this place before I leave these women unguarded. I have just seen that crazy woman again."

"Ye have?"

"Yes; she opened the door of the front chamber. I saw her face clearly in the mirror, but I tripped and fell, and she got away. God knows where she went, for I've hunted every room on this floor, and she could n't have come down these stairs without your seeing her."

"The tunnel, sor."

"I've thought of that, but she had no time to reach there before I was in the hall. There may be some other way leading into it, of course, which we have not yet discovered, but I am not going to run away leaving her here to commit more murders. What about you?"

"Sure I'm wid ye, sor."

"Then go back there and serve your guard. You can help me more in that way than any other just now. Keep Miss Denslow down below, if possible, and don't take your eyes off these stairs. When is your relief?"

"An hour yit, sor."

"Good: that will give me plenty of time. Get back to your post." [ 293 ]