'Have you lately had a letter from Lady Knollys ?' 'No, papa, not for two months or more.' There was a pause.
'And why _afraid_, Maud ?' 'She brought me one day to Church Scarsdale; you know what a solitary place it is, sir; and she frightened me so that I was afraid to go with her into the churchyard.

But she went and left me alone at the other side of the stream, and an impudent man passing by stopped and spoke to me, and seemed inclined to laugh at me, and altogether frightened me very much, and he did not go till Madame happened to return.' 'What kind of man--young or old ?' 'A young man; he looked like a farmer's son, but very impudent, and stood there talking to me whether I would or not; and Madame did not care at all, and laughed at me for being frightened; and, indeed, I am very uncomfortable with her.' He gave me another shrewd look, and then looked down cloudily and thought.
'You say you are uncomfortable and frightened.

How is this--what causes these feelings ?' 'I don't know, sir; she likes frightening me; I am afraid of her--we are all afraid of her, I think.

The servants, I mean, as well as I.' My father nodded his head contemptuously, twice or thrice, and muttered, 'A pack of fools!' 'And she was so very angry to-day with me, because I would not walk again with her to Church Scarsdale.

I am very much afraid of her.