Now, the only two servants (excepting Rosanna herself) who had
remained under examination for any length of time, were my lady's own
maid and the first housemaid, those two being also the women who had
taken the lead in persecuting their unfortunate fellow-servant from the
first. Reaching these conclusions, I looked in on them, casually as
it might be, in the servants' hall, and, finding tea going forward,
instantly invited myself to that meal. (For, NOTA BENE, a drop of tea is
to a woman's tongue what a drop of oil is to a wasting lamp.)
My reliance on the tea-pot, as an ally, did not go unrewarded. In less
than half an hour I knew as much as the Sergeant himself.
My lady's maid and the housemaid, had, it appeared, neither of them
believed in Rosanna's illness of the previous day. These two devils--I
ask your pardon; but how else CAN you describe a couple of spiteful
women?--had stolen up-stairs, at intervals during the Thursday
afternoon; had tried Rosanna's door, and found it locked; had knocked,
and not been answered; had listened, and not heard a sound inside. When
the girl had come down to tea, and had been sent up, still out of sorts,
to bed again, the two devils aforesaid had tried her door once more, and
found it locked; had looked at the keyhole, and found it stopped up; had
seen a light under the door at midnight, and had heard the crackling of
a fire (a fire in a servant's bed-room in the month of June!) at four
in the morning.
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