"
As she spoke she did not look at the pretty young lady sitting by the
fire. Her dark eyes were glancing furtively round the attractively
furnished bedroom, as if appraising everything that was there, from the
uncommon-looking high brass candlesticks on the dressing-table to the
pink silk covered eiderdown and drawn linen coverlid on the bed.
Perhaps because she was so extraordinarily relieved, Enid Crofton spoke
to this somewhat impudent old-clothes woman very graciously.
"I'm sorry," she began, "but I've nothing in the least suitable for you,
Madame Flora. It's a pity you wasted your time waiting for me. There are
several other people in Beechfield with whom I expect you might have done
business." She smiled as she spoke.
"I wish I'd thought of that, Modam." The woman spoke with a touch of
regret. "But your maids expected you might be back any minute, and I did
want to meet you, for Piper's that down on 'is luck, I sometimes don't
know what to do with 'im! Instead of wanting to employ ex-soldiers, as in
course they ought ter, people seem just to avoid them--"
"Piper?" repeated Enid Crofton in a low, hesitating voice. "Then are you
Mrs. Piper?"
Was it conceivable that this strange-looking old thing was Piper's wife?
"I've been Mrs.
Pages:
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237