XII
　　Alice Bentham, the gooseberry-eyed housemaid, came to Mrs. Spicer, the cook, in some perturbation.
　　"Oh, Mrs. Spicer, I don't rightly know what I ought to do." "What's the matter, Alice?""It's Miss Barrett. I took her in her cup of tea over an hour ago. Fast asleep she was, and never woke up, but I didn't like to do much. And then, five minutes ago, I went in again because she hadn't come down and her ladyship's tea all ready and waiting for her to take in. So I went in again and she's sleeping ever so -I can't stir her.""Have you shaken her?"
　　"Yes, Mrs. Spicer. I shook her hard - but she just goes on lying there and she's ever such a horrid¹ colour.""Goodness, she's not dead, is she?"
　　"Oh, no, Mrs. Spicer, because I can hear her breathing, but it's funny breathing. I think she's ill or something.""Well, I'll go up and see myself. You take in her ladyship's tea. Better make a fresh pot. She'll be wondering what's happened."Alice obediently did as she was told, whilst Mrs. Spicer went up to the second floor.
　　Taking the tray along the corridor, Alice knocked at Lady Tressilian's door. After knocking twice and getting no answer she went in. A moment later there was a crash of broken crockery and a series of wild screams, and Alice came rushing out of the room and down the stairs to where Hurstall was crossing the hall to the dining-room.
　　"Oh, Mr. Hurstall - there've been burglars and her ladyship's dead - killed - with a gr
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