“You, madam, will never go there.”
“Oh, yes, I shall.”
“Indeed you won’t. I’ll take care of that. The police will see to that.”
“I don’t care a fig for the police. I shall go and stay as long as you do. They told me to stick to you.”
I became angry. Any man would have. But nothing was to be gained by losing my temper. I took out a sovereign.
“If you’ll get out at the next station, I’ll give you this.”
She laughed merrily. “I thought you went in for personal supervision, not mere pecuniary doles,” she said; “I read that in your speech at the Charity Organization meeting. No; I’m not to be bribed. I’m going to the Guntons’.”
“It’s absurd. It’s preposterous. What will—what will Mrs. Gunton say?”
“Oh, she won’t mind,” answered my companion, with a confident nod. “She’s used to girls like me.”
“You surprise me,” I retorted sarcastically; but she only laughed again. I returned to my paper.