The Secret of Greylands Read Online Free PDF Page A

Hannah!” Cynthia cried, indescribably shocked at this intelligence. “It must have been this she meant when she wrote; she seemed to hint at some impending trouble. Perhaps she had some sort of presentiment. I have heard of such things.”
    Gillman turned, poker in hand.
    â€œWhat did she say about it?”
    Something in his tone startled Cynthia.
    â€œShe spoke of feeling old and weak and wishing to see me,” Cynthia said, after a moment’s pause. “I wish I had been able to, but, as I said, the letter was delayed; I only had it two days ago.” Gillman laid the poker in its place carefully.
    â€œIf you had written I should have been obliged to ask you to delay your visit; but it is too late for that now. My wife has been nervous lately. Her old maid, Gleeson, who had been with her for years—as I dare say you know—left her in the beginning of the winter, and we found a great difficulty in replacing her. Then to get servants at all in a place like this is no easy matter; at present we are entirely without them.”
    â€œEntirely without servants?” Cynthia echoed amazedly. “I do not understand! Do you mean that there is no one to attend to Cousin Hannah?”
    Gillman took up a position before the fire and leaned against the high oaken mantelpiece, one hand pulling his moustache and partly shading his face.
    â€œYour cousin has the bad taste to prefer my ministrations to those of anyone else,” he said, with a smile which seemed to alter the whole character of his face.
    Looking at his expression in repose Cynthia had decided that, notwithstanding his undeniable good looks, the straight, regular features and the large blue eyes, the whole effect was repellent in the extreme; but the smile altered everything—it was curiously bright and winning, and the rows of straight white teeth gave an expression of superb health and strength.
    He went on in a moment.
    â€œWe have a charwoman who comes up from the village to do the rough work, and in an emergency I am a capital hand at cooking. I have roughed it on a ranch in Texas as well as in New Zealand. Oh, I assure you, we do very well!”
    â€œI dare say,” said Cynthia uncertainly. “I am sure you do your best,” she added politely, “but it seems such an unaccountable thing for a woman in Cousin Hannah’s position.”
    â€œNeeds must when—” with another smile.
    â€œYou will think I am making your cousin as unconventional as myself, Miss Densham. You will find her a good deal altered. When did you see her last?”
    â€œNot since I was a child,” Cynthia answered.
    â€œIndeed, I really cannot remember her at all— properly, that is to say.”
    â€œAh!” He opened the sideboard door. “I am forgetting! Here are our provisions. You see there are eggs, cakes, and I believe there is some cold beef in the larder. What will you have?”
    â€œI should like a cup of tea better than anything,” Cynthia said hesitatingly.
    He laughed and said:
    â€œThe woman’s panacea! I should recommend a glass of your cousin’s old port myself; but, as you please,” shrugging his shoulders as Cynthia shook her head. “Tea is, at any rate, easily obtainable,” placing a little kettle on the spirit- lamp. “But now, if you will excuse me, I will tell my wife that you are here, and take counsel with her as to what is best to be done.”
    â€œOh, please ask her to let me come up; I am so anxious to see her!”
    â€œI expect she will be only too delighted to see you,” Gillman replied politely. His eyes as he left the room were fixed hungrily on a corner of the white envelope which he could see sticking out of the pocket in the girl’s coat.
    Left alone, Cynthia rose and, crossing over to the mirror hanging on the wall, took off her hat and coiled up her disordered hair. Her thoughts were busy, meanwhile, with her curious