’You have done nothing of what I asked,’ said Honor.
’I have no wish to act ungenerously,’ answered Taverner. ’Your request was reasonable; however, I have acted fairly, I have promised to advance your father a hundred pounds to assist him in the prosecuting of his claims.’
’There,’ said Oliver Luxmore, ’you see, Honor, that your marriage is about to help the whole family. We shall come by our lights at last. We shall recover Coombe Park.’
Then Taverner went to the door and called down the passage, ’Mrs. Veale! Come here! You are wanted to witness some signatures.’
The housekeeper came, paler, more trembling than usual, with her eyes fluttering, but with sharp malignant gleams flashing out of them from under the white throbbing lashes.
’I be that nervous,’ she said, ’and my hand shakes so I can hardly write.’
She stooped, and indeed her hand did tremble. ’I’m cooking the supper,’ she said, ’you must excuse the apron.’ As she wrote she turned her head and looked at her master. He was not observing her, and the lawyer was indicating the place where she was to write and was holding down the sheet, but Honor saw the look full of deadly hate, a look that made her heart stand still, and the thought to spring into her brain, ’That woman ought not to remain in the house another hour, she is dangerous.’
When Mrs. Veale had done, she rose, put her hands under her apron, curtsied, and said, ’May I make so bold as to ask if that be the master’s will?’
’Thank you, sir,’ said Mrs. Veale, curtseying again. ’You’ll excuse the liberty, but if it had been, I’d have said, remember I’ve served your honour these fifteen years faithful as a dog, and now in my old age I’m kicked out, though not past work.’
She curtsied again, and went backward out of the room into the passage.
Langford shut, slammed the door in her face.
’Is the woman a little touched here?’ asked the lawyer, pointing to his forehead.
’Oh no, not a bit, only disappointed. She has spent fifteen years in laying traps for me, and I have been wise enough to avoid them all.’ Then he opened the door suddenly and saw her there, in the dark passage, her face distorted with passion and her fist raised.
’Mrs. Veale,’ said the yeoman, ’lay the supper and have done with this nonsense.’