“Oh, poor Philip!” she cried. “He has always been so good, so content. And Mrs. Home—— Evelyn, what is to be done?”
She laid her hand in appeal on his shoulder; he took it and kissed it.
“Leave it all to me,” he said. “I will see that he knows.”
“And you will tell him I am sorry?” she said. “You will make him understand how sorry I am, but that I could not help it?”
“Ah, my darling!” he cried, and kissed her.
Now, Lady Ellington had seldom in all her busy and fully-occupied life felt helpless, but she felt helpless now, and two young folk, without a plan in their heads while she was bursting with excellent plans, had brought this paralysis on her. She also had very seldom felt angry, but now it would not be too much to say that she felt furious, and her sense of impotence added to her fury. She got out of her chair and took Madge by the shoulder.
“You ought to be whipped, Madge!” she cried.
The girl held out her hand to her.
“Ah, poor mother!” she said. “I had forgotten about you, because I was so happy myself. I am sorry for you, too. It is awful! But what am I to do?”
“You are to come home with me now,” she said.