"She did--the creature, she did," was the answer; "her heart was always
tender to dumb brutes."

"I have no doubt the young lady's heart was everything it ought to be,"
was the reply; "and for that reason, though she had an intense
repugnance to enter the room, she opened the door to let the dog out."

"She said so: I was not there," answered Miss Blake.

Whereupon ensued a brisk skirmish between counsel as to whether Miss
Blake could give evidence about a matter of mere hearsay. And after they
had fought for ten minutes over the legal bone, our adversary said he
would put the question differently, which he did, thus:

"You were sitting in the dining-room, when you were startled by hearing
a piercing shriek."

"I heard a screech--you can call it what you like," said Miss Blake,
feeling an utter contempt for English phraseology.

"I stand corrected; thank you, Miss Blake. You heard a screech, in
short, and you hurried across the hall, and found Miss Elmsdale in a
fainting condition, on the floor of the library. Was that so?"

"She often fainted: she is all nairves," explained poor Miss Blake.

"No doubt. And when she regained consciousness, she entreated to be
taken out of that dreadful room."

"She never liked the room after her father's death: it was natural,