ABSTRACT
One day, for some reason or other, Mr. Gibson came home unexpectedly. c He was crossing the hall, having come in by the garden-door – the garden communicated with the stable-yard, where he had left his horse – when the kitchen door opened, and the girl who was underling in the establishment, came quickly into the hall with a note in her hand, and made as if she was taking it upstairs : but d on seeing her master she gave a little start, and turned back as if to hide herself in the kitchen. If she had not made this movement, so conscious of guilt, Mr. Gibson, who was anything but suspicious, would never have taken any notice of her. As it was, he stepped quickly forwards, opened the kitchen door, and called out ‘Bethia’ so sharply that she could not delay coming forwards.
