he said good-naturedly. "I daresay you'll be all right --
don't you be worrying yourself." He lowered his
voice: "Though there are some as says that what they
found in your back kitchen this morning was enough
to have blown up all Witanbury sky high! Quite a
good few don't think you knew anything about it --
and if you didn't, you've nothing to fear. You'll be
treated quite fair; so now you sit up, and make a good
supper!"

She stared at him without speaking, and he went on:
"You won't be having this sort of grub in Darneford
Gaol, you know!" As she again looked at him with no
understanding, he added by way of explanation:
"After you've been charged tomorrow, it's there
they'll send you, I expect, to wait for the Assizes."

"So?" she said stupidly.

"You just sit up and enjoy your supper! You
needn't hurry over it. I shan't be this way again for
an hour or so." And then he went out and shut the
door.

For almost the first time in her life, Anna Bauer
did not feel as if she wanted to eat good food set before her.
But she poured out a cup of coffee, and
drank it just as it was, black and bitter, without putting
either milk or sugar to it.

Then she stood up. The coffee had revived her,
cleared her brain, and she looked about her with awakened,
keener perceptions.

It was beginning to get dark, but it was a fine evening,
and there was still light enough to see by. She
looked up consideringly at the old-fashioned iron gas
bracket, placed in the middle of the ceiling, just above

[[356]]

p355 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p356w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p357

v?