) Mrs Gater explained further how the plans of the burglar must
have been laid with the most diabolic skill; how he must have studied
the daily life of the Hall patiently for weeks, if not months; how he
must have known the habits and plans of every soul in the place, and the
exact instant at which the Countess had arranged to drive to Stafford to
catch the London express.
It appeared that save for four maidservants, a page, two dogs, three
gardeners, and the kitchen-clerk, Mrs Gater was alone in the Hall.
During the late afternoon and early evening they had all been to assist
at a rat-catching in the stables, and the burglar must have been aware
of this. It passed Mrs Gater's comprehension how the criminal had got
clear away out of the gardens and park, for to set up a hue and cry had
been with her the work of a moment. She could not be sure whether he had
taken any valuable property, but the inventory was being checked. Though
surely for her an inventory was scarcely necessary, as she had been
housekeeper at Sneyd Hall for six-and-twenty years, and might be said to
know the entire contents of the mansion by heart! The police were at
work.
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