She did not offer Hugh her hand. She seated herself on a settee, and motioned him to occupy an easy-chair opposite.
“My husband is away,” she said, in her foreign English, looking wistfully at Dr. Paull. “He sent to me the count late last night, to say it was impossible that he should return.”
She was evidently watching for the effect of her communication. But Dr. Paull maintained his professional sphinx-like calm.
“Indeed!” he said. “But you have friends staying with you? You are not alone?”
“I am quite alone,” she said. “But I have always been alone, so that is nothing.”
There was an awkward pause. Hugh hardly knew how to meet these naïve confidences.
“You sent for me?” he began, suggestively.
She looked at him with a peculiar, scrutinising glance for quite half a minute. Then she said:
“Lady Forwood told me you are a good man.”
This was somewhat disconcerting.