Miss Ingate said not a word. She merely sat with her hands in the lap of her spotted pale-blue dress, faintly and sadly smiling.
Audrey burst out:
“Miss Ingate, what can I do? I must do something. What can I do?”
Miss Ingate shook her head, and put her lips tightly together, while mechanically smoothing the sides of her grey coat.
“I don’t know,” she said. “It beats me.”
“Then I’ll tell you what I can do!” answered Audrey firmly, wriggling somewhat nearer to her along the floor. “And what I shall do.”
“What?”
“Will you promise to keep it a secret?”
Miss Ingate nodded, smiling and showing her teeth. Her broad polished forehead positively shone with kindly eagerness.
“Will you swear?”