But though I lay awake
above an hour, I didn't hear him come up stairs at all; so goodness
knows what time he went to bed. You see he had a party that night."
"Oh, he had a party, had he?" remarked the police-officer, who saw that
he had no occasion to question this young lady, so well-inclined was
she to tell him all she knew.
"Yes, sir. His friends came to have a hand at cards and a hot supper;
and didn't it give me plenty of trouble to get it all ready, that's
all. You see, master's friends are some of the gentlemen up at the
castle; and they live so uncommon well up there, that they're very
particular what they eat. It must be all of the best, and done to a
turn, master says to me; and so it was. I'm sure the steak was a
perfect picture when I laid it on the dish, and the onions were fried a
beautiful golden brown, as would have done credit to the Queen of
England's head-cook, though I says it as shouldn't perhaps," added the
damsel, modestly.
"And which of the gentlemen from the castle came to supper with your
master that night?" Mr. Larkspur asked, presently.
"Well, sir, you see there was three of them. Mr. Brook, the coachman, a
good-natured, civil-spoken man as you'd wish to meet, but a little
given to drink, folks say; and there was James Harwood, the under-
groom; and Stephen Plumpton, the footman, a good-looking, fresh-
coloured young man, which is, perhaps, beknown to you.
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