“Is that Lady Ruth Barrington?”
“Yes!”
“Is it—Mademoiselle Violet?”
The receiver nearly dropped from her hand.
“I don’t understand you,” she answered, “I am Lady Ruth Barrington! Who are you?”
“You are Mademoiselle Violet,” was the answer, “and you know who I am! Listen, I am in Mr. Wingrave’s rooms.”
She would have liked to have rung off and gone away, but it seemed a sheer impossibility for her to move! And all the time her knees were shaking, and the fear of evil things was in her heart.
“What are you doing there?” she asked.
“He brought me in himself,” the thin voice answered. “Can you hear me? I don’t want to speak any louder for fear anyone else should be listening.”
“Yes, I can hear,” she answered. “But how dared you ring me up? Say what you desire to quickly! I am going away.”