Sylvia assured her that she would not, and declared it would do her
good to make herself useful.
"Aren't you that at home?" said Mrs. Merston.
"Well, there are plenty of Kaffirs to do the work. I am not
absolutely necessary to Burke's comfort," Sylvia explained.
"I thought you were," Matilda Merston's pale eyes gave her a shrewd
glance. "He was keen enough to run after you to Brennerstadt," she
remarked. "How did you get on there?"
Sylvia hesitated. "We were only there a couple of nights," she
said vaguely.
"So I gathered. Did you find Guy?"
"No. I didn't see him. But Mr. Kelly has promised to look after
him."
"Ah, Donovan is a good sort," said Mrs. Merston. "He'd nursemaid
anyone. So Kieff is dead!"
She said it abruptly, too intent upon the mixing of her cake to
look up.
There came the sound of wheel and hoofs outside, and Sylvia paused
to listen before she replied.
"Yes. Kieff is dead."
The sound died away in the distance, and there fell a silence.
Then, "Killed himself, did he?" asked Mrs. Merston.
"I was told so," said Sylvia.
"Don't you believe it?" Mrs. Merston looked across at her suddenly.
"Did someone else have a try first? Did he have a row with Burke?"
There was no evading the questions though she would fain have
avoided the whole subject. In a very low voice Sylvia spoke of the
violent scene she had witnessed.
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