‘I have already said that I owe a great deal to his
kindness. If I am able to support myself it is largely due to
the interest which he took in my unhappy situation.’
‘Did you correspond with him?’
The lady looked quickly up with an angry gleam in her
hazel eyes.
‘What is the object of these questions?’ she asked
sharply.
‘The object is to avoid a public scandal. It is better that
I should ask them here than that the matter should pass
outside our control.’
She was silent and her face was still very pale. At last
she looked up with something reckless and defiant in her
manner.
‘Well, I’ll answer,’ she said. ‘What are your questions?’
‘Did you correspond with Sir Charles?’
‘I certainly wrote to him once or twice to acknowledge