Tony Walker

Yes, Miss Pendleham.

Miss Pendleham led the way into the drawing-room.

Today, she said, is the anniversary of the death of Miss Davis.

She was my companion before you came.

She was a foolish, fanciful girl in some ways.

Have I told you about her before?

Only a little, Miss Pendleham.

Yes, she was fanciful.

She used to fancy she heard and saw strange things in the house, and that shows her mind was tainted.

Does it not?

Yes, Miss Pendleham.

I mean, if the house were haunted, we should both of us see and hear such strange things, should we not?

Yes, Miss Pendleham, which we never do.

No, Miss Pendleham, of course not.

Well, I should perhaps have dismissed Miss Davies earlier, but I did not like to.

Have I told you how she died?

No, Miss Pendleham, I thought not.

I had noticed she was getting thinner and stranger in her manner, and she told me her sleep was disordered.

I should have been warned when she came running to my room one day, seeing she had seen a child butchered in the kitchen, and she had other hallucinations which revealed her mind was in an abnormal state.

One evening I sent her up to fetch my wrap, just as I sometimes send you.