“Where have you been spending the evening?” she asked.
“We had dinner and went to a place of entertainment,” she faltered. “Then we had supper, and I found out how late it was.”
“Who is we?”
The girl’s face was scarlet. She did not answer. Wilhelmina waited for a moment and then shrugged her shoulders.
“You are to be congratulated,” she said, with cold irony, “upon your fortunate meeting with Mr. Macheson.”
She had touched the bell, and a footman entered.
“Reynolds,” she said, “show this young person into the housekeeper’s room, and ask Mrs. Brown to take charge of her for the night.”
The girl moved forward impulsively, but something in Wilhelmina’s expression checked her little speech of gratitude. She followed the man from the room without a word. Wilhelmina also turned towards the door.
“You will excuse me,” she said coldly to Macheson. “I am already later than I intended to be.”