CHAPTER SIXDonela awoke as a housemaid came into the room.
She pulled back the curtains and with an effort Donela came back to reality.
“What is the time?” she asked sleepily.
“It’s half-past ten, miss,” the housemaid replied, “and his Lordship would like to see you when you come downstairs.”
Donela sat up abruptly.
“Half-past ten?” she asked. “It cannot be!”
“You were fast asleep, miss,” the housemaid answered, “so I didn’t disturb you.”
Donela tried to remember what had happened.
As the housemaid brought in her breakfast and set it down beside the bed, she enquired,
“Has Mr. Banks and the two young ladies with him left?”
“Oh, yes, miss!” the housemaid replied. “They went very early. Half-past eight, I thinks it was.”
Donela remembered that the stagecoach to London stopped at t
