I told her
that we should be quite contented with the dining-room, provided we had
a good bed-room. This she at once showed me, and, soon coming to terms,
I returned to the hotel.
After breakfast, I went to the bureau to ask for my account. Whilst it
was being made out, I observed casually that I had taken lodgings at
Miss G.'s on Cliff Terrace, upon which the accountant looked quickly up
and said: "Oh, Miss G.'s," and then as quickly went on with my bill. I
hardly noticed this at the moment, though I thought of it afterwards.
Eleven o'clock saw us comfortably ensconced in our rooms. After lunch,
we took a delightful expedition, the weather having greatly moderated.
We found that night, at dinner, that Miss G. was a first-rate cook, and
we retired to rest much pleased with our quarters.
We soon made the acquaintance of the two maids, Jane, who waited upon
us, and Mary, the housemaid; and two very pleasant and obliging young
women we found them.
About the third morning of our stay, on going up to my bed-room after
breakfast, I was surprised to find a strange maid in the room. She was
standing by the bed, smoothing down the bed-clothes with both hands and
appeared to take no notice of me, but continued gazing steadily in front
of her, while her hands went mechanically on smoothing the clothes. I
could not help being struck with her pale face, which wore a look of
pain, and the fixed and almost stony expression of her eyes.
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