At last the woman returned and announced that the carriage would be down immediately.
"That are man frightened the horse," she said; "I was a looking out of the window--it's my belief he's a hanging about the place for no good."
"Have you ever seen him before?" asked Mellen.
"Why, I think it's the chap you was a talking with one day, Mrs. Mellen," said the woman.
"I thought you did not know him?" observed Mellen, turning quickly towards his wife.
She sat upright, gave him one of her quick, indignant glances, and answered coldly:
"I simply said he ran by me so fast I could not tell whether I knew him or not."
"Wal, it was the same fellow," pursued Mrs. Green; "I'm sure of that."
Mellen colored and bit his lip, but he saw the woman looking curiously at them and said no more.
"I wish, Mrs. Green," he said, "you would take great care to close the gates at night; we are near enough the city for dangerous characters to stray down here."
"Law, sar, we're just as careful as can be. There ain't a night we don't shut and lock the gates. I hope we ain't a coming to no blame; I'm a lone woman and Jem's a cripple. It would be hard on us."
Mellen tried to stop her flood of protestations and appeals, but she insisted upon telling the whole story of every misery she had endured during her life, before she would pause in her plea of sorrow for an instant. By that time the carriage fortunately arrived and they were able to escape the sound of her tongue.
The husband and wife drove somewhat silently home. Mellen was very anxious about Elizabeth, who had recovered her usual serenity of temper, and could do her best to reassure him, though the color would not come back to her face, nor the startled look die out of her eyes.
When they reached the house, Elsie was standing on the steps, and ran down to the carriage full of alarm, having just learned that Elizabeth had met with some accident, while Tom came forward more anxious still.
"Are you hurt? are you hurt?" demanded Elsie.
Elizabeth assured her that she was not in the least injured, tried to laugh at Mellen's solicitude, but looked very nervous still.
"You are sure you are not hurt?" urged Tom.
"Maybe I'd better run after a doctor though?"
"Nonsense, Tom," she said, a little impatiently, "when I tell you I am not hurt in the least."