A bell jangled noisily on the wall behind Mary's chair .sx She dashed off the end of the letter , scattering crosses recklessly , and then turned to glance at the line of bells .sx The one that was still trembling at the end of its long bent iron spring told her that her services were required in the library .sx She had been in that house since the age of twelve , when she had been brought from an orphanage to begin her career as scullery-maid , and she was now eighteen .sx Mr. George Griffiths had been her master then .sx The kindly , lonely old man , had lived there in comfort and affluence until two years previously .sx Mary could remember the day when the butler had pompously announced at the kitchen dinner that the master intended to have his nephew , Thomas Wainewright , and his nephew's wife to live with him in future .sx But the butler had only stayed on for a few weeks , until the sudden death of old Mr. George Griffiths , and then he had been dismissed with all the other old servants , except Mary .sx Why she hadn't been dismissed with the others was a question which Mary often debated with herself and found explanations which , thinking of her savings and that cottage she was to share with James , she kept to herself .sx She had been in the room with her old master when he had died alone with him .sx She could see again his grey , wrinkled face , covered with perspiration his body racked and twisted with pain .sx He had been trying to say something to her .sx There had been terror in his eyes .sx And then suddenly and swiftly the end had come and she had been startled to find Mr. Wainewright , who always moved about as softly as the cats he loved so much , standing by her side and peering over her shoulder .sx " Oh , Sir , the poor master's dead !sx " she had gasped brokenly .sx A pair of dark , luminous eves had looked into her own .sx A long , beautiful hand decorated with rings had been laid upon her arm .sx " God rest his soul !sx He's well away from all this fret and fever , Mary .sx Did he say anything before he died ?sx " .sx The voice was soft , almost purring .sx Mary had felt then a strange , shrinking sensation , of which she had never been able to rid herself whenever her duties brought her in contact with her master .sx " He was trying to tell me something , and he had a terrible , frightened look in his eyes .sx And , oh , sir , he was all twisted and in such pain !sx " .sx That beautiful , beringed hand had patted her shoulder .sx " Let us be glad that he is at peace now , Mary !sx " he had said .sx He had stooped over the bed and with the tips of his fingers delicately closed those glazed eyes which still seemed to be struggling to tell some terrible secret .sx " You were always very attentive to him , Mary .sx Both my wife and I have watched you .sx We know you don't talk and aren't silly and given to gossip .sx Continue in that way , and you will find it to your advantage .sx " There had been something behind his words which had vaguely disturbed her at the time ; and we know from her letters that , in the two years since the death of old George Griffiths , that feeling of uneasiness , so far from abating , had increased .sx But Mr. Wainewright had remembered his promise .sx All the other servants had been dismissed when her new master stepped into his uncle's considerable fortune , and Mary had found herself promoted from under-housemaid to the head of the female staff , next to the cook .sx A Premonition of Evil .sx ALL these thoughts perhaps flashed through Mary's mind as she climbed the kitchen stairs and made her way across the hall .sx As she paused a moment outside the library door a man's rich voice subdued almost to a whisper reached her ears .sx " We must have the money , my dear .sx We can't go on like this much longer .sx I owe it to you to make every possible provision I can for you .sx Your mother , of course , may live for years , but it would be merely a prudent precaution to take out this insurance on her life just in case anything should happen .sx ' Mary was to record how , as she listened , her fingers hesitated to touch the handle of the door .sx " No , not mother , Thomas .sx Besides , we must have at least ten thousand pounds , and we haven't the money to pay the premium on so large a sum .sx " There was a pause and the rustling of papers .sx " Under the terms of your father's will you come into five hundred pounds , my dear , don't you , when your mother dies ?sx In the regrettable event of her decease , to what better use could we put that money than to take out a handsome insurance , say , for fifteen or twenty thousand pounds , on the life of one of your half-sisters !sx They are both delicate and their expectation of life cannot be for many years .sx We can use the money coming to you from your mother to effect that insurance , which , when it matured , would relieve us from all these troublesome financial difficulties .sx " As that rich voice died away , Mary tapped at the door of the library .sx Her master and mistress were seated at an oak table strewn with documents which looked like bills .sx A lot of bills came to the house nowadays , and tradesmen were always clamouring about their accounts .sx But that , of course , was no affair of hers .sx She was paid regularly and though she could not help hearing the gossip , she minded her own affairs , which were her savings , and James , and that little cottage of her dreams .sx " Oh , Mary , I sent for you to tell you that l want the three spare bedrooms got ready .sx My mother Mrs. Abercromby , and my two half-sisters Miss Helen and Miss Madeline , are coming to make their homes with us .sx " A storm had been gathering all day , so Mary Bray was to record , and now the last vestiges of sunlight suddenly faded from the room .sx She was vitally conscious that her master's dark , luminous eyes were watching her intently .sx He sat there , the complete dandy , with his rich .sx black hair and his perfectly cut clothes .sx His delicate hands rested on the back of a black cat , and she could see that his fingers were slowly turning and turning a big magnificent Florentine ring , set with a huge stone .sx Mary knew that ring , for once it had been lost and there had been a great fuss , and she had found it , half concealed by the curtains in his bedroom .sx She had never told anybody , but in picking up the ring she had accidentally touched some spring which had made that big stone open like a lid of a box .sx Before she had closed it again she had noticed in that recess some strange white crystals .sx " You will , I know , Mary , do everything to make my wife's mother and sisters happy and comfortable .sx We both want them to feel that this is really their home .sx " The voice was soft and cultured ; the dark immobile face was like a mask ; only those strange eyes seemed to be almost challenging the thoughts that raced tumultuously across her mind .sx She was frightened .sx It was as if some cold , dark shadow had touched her soul .sx And was there any reason for it ?sx What more natural than that Mr. Wainewright should give a home to his mother-in-law and her two daughters ?sx It was an act of kindness and generosity .sx Hadn't Mrs. Wainewright , who occasionally condescended to talk , told her that her mother had made a most imprudent second marriage that the almost penniless Lieutenant Abercromby , to whom she had been united , had died leaving her with two daughters , whom she had found it a struggle to bring up ?sx It was obviously a gesture of kindness and charity to give them board and shelter in the big old house at Turnham Green .sx And yet she was frightened .sx Perhaps it was the conversation she had overheard and only half understood about insurances .sx Anyway , we know from Mary's letters that have come so strangely to light , that had it been in her power she would have prevented Mrs. Abercromby and her daughters from coming to Turnham Green .sx Because those dark luminous eyes seemed to be having some strange effect on her , she dropped a curtsey .sx " Very good , ma'am .sx Mrs. Abercromby will have the old master's room , I suppose ?sx " .sx The room in which George Griffiths had died had not been used since his death .sx She saw Mrs. Wainewright turn and glance for a moment at her husband .sx Their eyes seemed to exchange questions and answers , as if her mistress were asking for advice on a matter on which she was surely the better judge .sx " Yes , I should like my mother to have that room , Mary .sx Will you please see to all the arrangements at once ?sx We are expecting them to-morrow .sx " There were grumbles in the kitchen when Mary returned there with her news .sx The butler was indignant .sx Wasn't the master badly enough in debt already , without hampering himself with his wife's relations ?sx Everybody knew he was in debt .sx In the course of two years the fortune Mr. George Griffiths had left had been scattered to the four winds in a riot of entertainments .sx Mary Bray , who kept herself to herself , added nothing to this chorus of comments ; but as she superintended the preparation of Mrs. Abercromby's room , that feeling of impending evil became mere and more acute .sx It was as if the very furniture the bed on which she had seen for the Iast time her old master's grey twisted face were trying to cry out some warning to her .sx So strong was the impression that it remained with her even when she was at last able to slip out of the house into the afternoon sunshine .sx " Don't Let Her Come Here !sx " .sx MARY was making for the outskirts of the little village of Chiswick where she left the letters she wrote to James at the house of a mutual friend , to be called for when he had crossed the Thames after his day's work on his way back to his lodgings .sx As she reached the highroad a tall , well-dressed young man , who was standing in the shadow of some trees , glanced at her , appeared to hesitate a moment , and then came quickly towards her .sx " Excuse me , but I think I saw you come out of Mr. Wainewright's house just now , didn't I ?sx " .sx Mary , having satisfied herself from the man's expression that this was not the case of a young dandy trying to scrape acquaintance with her , replied that he was quite right .sx The other's face seemed to light up .sx " You're employed there , perhaps ?sx " .sx " Yes , sir .sx I'm the upper housemaid .sx " The young man looked up and down the road , as if fearful of being watched , and then drew her into the shadow of the trees where he had been standing a few moments before .sx " Might I ask your name ?sx " .sx " Mary Bray , sir .sx " Fumbling in his pocket , he produced some money .sx " If I give you a little present , Mary , will you do me a kindness ?sx It isn't anything wrong .sx I merely want you to take a letter for me to the young lady who is staying with Mr. Wainewright .sx " " But I don't know who you are , sir , and there isn't anybody staying at our house .sx " The young man started .sx " My name's Roy Vincent , and surely Miss Madeline Abercromby is staying at Mr. Wainewright's ?sx " Mary smiled .sx " She doesn't come till to-morrow , sir she and her sister and her mother .sx " Even as she uttered the words that feeling of impending evil , which the sunlight and the open air had partially dispelled , darkened again .sx Had Roy Vincent been watching her face he must have noticed the change , but he was too occupied with his own thoughts .sx " I was told she was coming to-day , and I wanted her to have this letter at once .sx Will you let her have it privately to-rnorrow when she does come ?sx " .sx