'I did not mean to trouble you about it, John,' said Wilmet. 'Do you remember about that unfortunate affair of Alice Knevett?'
'Was it to her that your brother Edgar was attached?'
'Yes. Remember, it was a clandestine affair; and these children were made to serve as tools—that is, Angela was; and though Robina refused, she was involved in the scrape, and suffered so much for it that I should not have thought she would have wished to run after her again.'
'Then she married a Frenchman, did she not?' interposed John.
'Yes. After refusing to give Edgar up, and giving us all an infinity of trouble and annoyance, she suddenly threw him over without a word, and ran away with this Frenchman from Jersey. Yet here are the Miss Pearsons expecting us to call on her, Cherry undertaking that we shall, and this child expecting me to go and do so!'
'Do you know anything about the Frenchman?'
'A sort of commercial traveller, I believe.'
'Agent for a wine merchant,' said Robina. 'Major Knevett said there was nothing against his character. Miss Pearson sent the address; it is in the street at right angles with this, about eight doors off.'
'Well,' said John, 'I do not see how you can refuse to satisfy the Miss Pearsons about her.'
'If she were in a right frame of mind she would write to them. While she treats them with such neglect, I do not see why I should encourage her.'