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little girl of about seventeen； Ann （or Nanny） Price by name。
＇16＇ According to one account。 The Newgate Calendar （London
1773） gives Mrs Duncomb's age as eighty and that of the maid Betty as
sixty。
Mrs Love climbed the three flights of stairs to the top landing。 It
surprised her； or disturbed her； but little that she found no signs of life on
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the various floors； because it was； as we have seen； a Sunday。 The
occupants of the chambers of the staircase； mostly gentlemen connected in
one way or another with the law； would be； she knew abroad for the eating
of their Sunday dinners； either at their favourite taverns or at commons in
the Temple itself。 What did rather disturb kindly Mrs Love was the fact
that she found Mrs Duncomb's outer door closedan unwonted factand it
faintly surprised her that no odour of cooking greeted her nostrils。
Mrs Love knocked。 There was no reply。 She knocked； indeed； at
intervals over a period of some fifteen minutes； still obtaining no response。
The disturbed sense of something being wrong became stronger and
stronger in the mind of Mrs Love。
On the night of the previous Friday she had been calling upon Mrs
Duncomb； and she had found the old lady very weak； very nervous； and
very low in spirits。 It had not been a very cheerful visit all round；
because the old maidservant； Betty Harrison； had also been far from well。
There had been a good deal of talk between the old women of dying； a
subject to which their minds had been very prone to revert。 Besides Mrs
Love there were two other visitors； but they too failed to cheer the old
couple up。 One of the visitors； a laundress of the Temple called Mrs
Oliphant； had done her best； poohpoohing such melancholy talk； and
attributing the low spirits in which the old women found themselves to the
bleakness of the February weather； and promising them that they would
find a new lease of life with the advent of spring。 But Mrs Betty
especially had been hard to console。
‘‘My mistress；'' she had said to cheerful Mrs Oliphant； ‘‘will talk of
dying。 And she would have me die with her。''
As she stood in considerable perturbation of mind on the cheerless
third…floor landing that Sunday afternoon Mrs Love found small matter for
comfort in her memory of the Friday evening。 She remembered that old
Mrs Duncomb had spoken complainingly of the lonesomeness which had
come upon her floor by the vacation of the chambers opposite her on the
landing。 The tenant had gone a day or two before； leaving the rooms
empty of furniture； and the key with a Mr Twysden。
Mrs。 Love； turning to view the door opposite to that on which she had
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been rapping so long and so ineffectively； had a shuddery feeling that she
was alone on the top of the world。
She remembered how she had left Mrs Duncomb on the Friday night。
Mrs Oliphant had departed first； accompanied by the second visitor； one
Sarah Malcolm； a charwoman who had worked for Mrs Duncomb up to
the previous Christmas； and who had called in to see how her former
employer was faring。 An odd； silent sort of young woman this Sarah；
good…looking in a hardfeatured sort of way； she had taken but a very small
part in the conversation； but had sat staring rather sullenly into the fire by
the side of Betty Harrison； or else casting a flickering glance about the
room。 Mrs Love； before following the other two women downstairs； had
helped the ailing Betty to get Mrs Duncomb settled for the night。 In the
dim candle…light and the faint glow of the fire that scarce illumined the
wainscoted room the high tester…bed of the old lady； with its curtains； had
seemed like a shadowed catafalque； an illusion nothing lessened by the
frail old figure under the bedclothing。
It came to the mind of Mrs Love that the illness manifesting itself in
Betty on the Friday night had worsened。 Nanny； she imagined； must
have gone abroad on some errand。 The old servant； she thought； was too
ill to come to the door； and her voice would be too weak to convey an
answer to the knocking。 Mrs Love； not without a shudder for the chill
feeling of that top landing； betook herself downstairs again to make what
inquiry she might。 It happened that she met one of her fellow…visitors of
the Friday night； Mrs Oliphant。
Mrs Oliphant was sympathetic； but could not give any information。
She had seen no member of the old lady's establishment that day。 She
could only advise Mrs Love to go upstairs again and knock louder。
This Mrs Love did； but again got no reply。 She then evolved the
theory that Betty had died during the night； and that Nanny； Mrs Duncomb
being confined to bed； had gone to look for help； possibly from her sister；
and to find a woman who would lay out the body of the old servant。
With this in her mind Mrs Love descended the stairs once more； and went
to look for another friend of Mrs Duncomb's； a Mrs Rhymer。
Mrs Rhymer was a friend of the old lady's of some thirty years'
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standing。 She was； indeed； named as executrix in Mrs Duncomb's will。
Mrs Love finding her and explaining the situation as she saw it； Mrs
Rhymer at once returned with Mrs Love to Tanfield Court。
The two women ascended the stairs； and tried pushing the old lady's
door。 It refused to yield to their efforts。 Then Mrs Love went to the
staircase window that overlooked the court； and gazed around to see if
there was anyone about who might help。 Some distance away； at the
door； we are told； ‘‘of my Lord Bishop of Bangor；'' was the third of Friday
night's visitors to Mrs Duncomb； the charwoman named Sarah Malcolm。
Mrs Love hailed her。
‘‘Prithee； Sarah；'' begged Mrs Love； ‘‘go and fetch a smith to open
Mrs Duncomb's door。''
‘‘I will go at all speed；'' Sarah assured her； with ready willingness； and
off she sped。 Mrs Love and Mrs Rhymer waited some time。 Sarah
came back with Mrs Oliphant in tow； but had been unable to secure the
services of a locksmith。 This was probably due to the fact that it was a
Sunday。
By now both Mrs Love and Mrs Rhymer had become deeply
apprehensive； and the former appealed to Mrs Oliphant。 ‘‘I do believe
they are all dead； and the smith is not come！'' cried Mrs Love。 ‘‘What
shall we do； Mrs Oliphant？''
Mrs Oliphant； much younger than the others； seems to have been a
woman of resource。 She had from Mr Twysden； she said； the key of the
vacant chambers opposite to Mrs Duncomb's。 ‘‘Now let me see；'' she
continued； ‘‘if I cannot get out of the back chamber window into the gutter；
and so into Mrs Duncomb's apartment。''
The other women urged her to try。＇17＇ Mrs Oliphant set off； her
heels echoing in the empty rooms。 Presently the waiting women heard a
pane snap； and they guessed that Mrs Oliphant had broken through Mrs
Duncomb's casement to get at the handle。 They heard； through the door；
the noise of furniture being moved as she got through the window。 Then
came a shriek； the scuffle of feet。 The outer door of Mrs Duncomb's
chambers was flung open。 Mrs Oliphant； ashen…faced； appeared on the
landing。 ‘‘God！ Oh； gracious God！'' she cried。 ‘‘They're all
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murdered！
＇17＇