"Just go and see, will you?"
"Yes'm."
The company waited with gentle, concealed excitement for the returning Ada, who announced:
"His bedroom door's locked, m'm."
"He will lock it sometimes, although I've positively forbidden him to. But what are you to do?" said Hilda, smilingly to the other mothers.
"Take the key away, obviously," Tertius Ingpen answered the question, turning quickly and interrupting his chat with Janet Orgreave.
"That ought not to be necessary," said Fearns, as an expert father.
Ada departed, thankful to be finished with the ordeal of cross-examination in a full drawing-room.
"Don't you know anything about him?" Hilda addressed Johnnie Orgreave suddenly.
"Me? About your precious? No. Why should I know?"