"Never mind!" she said pleasantly. "I’ll see you first anyway. You’ll each have your turn; don’t worry!"
The young woman followed her into a room across the hall, and the door was closed.
"Well, I never!" cried a voice from the darkness.
It was the woman who had waited two hours. An indignant and subdued chorus began, which ended only when the blond young lady reappeared, smiling falsely, and walked past them all to the front door. She had failure written upon her face; and she knew it, and was very anxious to be gone. But the front door would not open; she was obliged to stand there, fumbling with the lock, raked by the eyes of those whom she had defrauded.
"She didn’t stay long!" observed the old lady. "Well, I didn’t think she’d suit."
"Of course not!" said another.
"Such tricks never bring any good luck," said the old lady. "After all, there is such a thing as justice in this world, and no——”
The red-haired lady returned and opened the front door.
"Now then!" she said, beckoning to Angelica.
Angelica shook her head.