“No, dear. I think not. I looked for it there.”
May went out of the room and brought back the bottle.
“Yes, it was there. You had put some of your papers on to it.”
“Thanks very much. I hope you took care not to disturb the papers.”
“No, I disturbed nothing. Will you have some now?”
“No, I’ve just had my tea. I was wanting it before tea. I always take it before meals, you know.”
May sat down in a chair and stirred her tea.
“Mr. Carlingford has given Mr. Douglas a cheque to get coals for the people. It’s fearfully cold, and, poor things, many of them can’t afford coals.”
“A good fellow, Douglas,” murmured Mr. Markham, as he smiled appreciatively at Aristophanes.
“I was wondering if we couldn’t let them have some wood,” said May. “There are stacks of it in the yard.”