ADVENTURE AT THE CASTLE 37 



" You needn't lay all those things for me," said 

 the traveller, " I only want tea." 



" Oh, it's no thrubble, miss," replied Biddy, with 

 an expansive smile. She finished laying the cloth 

 and then hung at the door. 



" Well? " asked Miss Grimshaw. 



"I thought, miss," said Biddy, in a diffident voice, 

 " you might be wantin' to — change your hat afther 

 the journey." 



As Miss Grimshaw was sitting at her tea some 

 ten minutes later a knock came to the door. It 

 was Moriarty who entered on the knock and stood 

 hat in hand. 



" I'm sendin' your trunk by Brady, the carrier, 

 miss," said Moriarty, " and I'm takin' your smaU 

 thraps on the car." 



" Thank you." 



" If you plaze, miss," said Moriarty, " did you 

 see a man step out of the train wid a long black 

 coat on him and a face hke an undertaker? " 



" I did," said Miss Grimshaw, " if you mean a 

 man in a tall hat." 



" That's him," said Moriarty, " bad luck to him! 

 I knew what he was afther when I set me eyes on 

 him, and when I was puttin' your bag on the car 

 he ups and axes me did I know of a Mr French 

 living here away. ' Which Mr Frinch? ' says I. 

 ' Mr Michael Frinch,' says he. ' Do I know where 

 he lives? ' says I. ' Sure, what do you take me for, 

 me that's Mr Frinch's own man? ' ' How far is it 

 away? ' says he. ' How far is what? ' says I. ' Mr 



