"Well, I don't see what you're to do. You can't give it back to Mr. Tristram. At least I shouldn't like to propose that to him, and I'm sure he wouldn't take it. Why, he couldn't, Cecily!"
Cecily rose and walked restlessly to the window.
"No, no, no," she said fretfully. She turned abruptly round to Mina. "Lord Southend says he'd be glad to make my acquaintance and have a talk."
"Ask him down here then."
"Ask him here? I'm not going to ask people to stay here."
"I think that's rather absurd." Mina had needed to summon up courage for this remark.
"And he says—— There, look at this letter. He says he's seen Harry and hopes to be able to do something for him. What does he mean by that?" She came back toward Mina. "There must be something possible if he says that."
"He can't mean anything about—about Blent. He means——"
"I must find out what he means. I must see him. The letter came when I was just desperate. Father and I sitting down here together day after day! As if——! As if——!" She paused and struggled for
self-control. "There, I'm going to be quite calm and reasonable about it," she ended.