Julien did not at once reply. His very hesitation seemed to afford the
Duchess a lively satisfaction.
"There!" she declared. "You are not going to pretend, then, that you don't know? That is excellent. Julien, tell me at once where to find her. Take me to her."
"I am afraid I can't do that," Julien objected.
"My dear—my dear Julien!" the Duchess protested. "This is all so foolish. Why should there be any mystery about Anne's whereabouts? I am not angry. I ought to be, perhaps, but you see I have guessed my dear girl's secret. I've felt for her terribly during the last few weeks, but it was so hard to know what to do. It seemed shocking at the time, but perhaps, after all, the course which she adopted was the wisest."
"I am very glad to hear that you are taking it like that," Julien remarked, "and I am sure Anne will be. I think the best thing I can do is to go and see her and tell her that you are here—"
"She does not know, then?" the Duchess interrupted.
"Why, of course not," Julien replied. "I received your note early this morning—before I was up, in fact—and you begged me so earnestly to come round at once that I came straight here without calling anywhere."
The Duchess coughed.
"Very well, Julien, I will leave you to go and fetch Anne whenever you like. I shall await you here impatiently. Tell me how it was that you both managed to deceive us so completely?"
Julien shook his head.