“Meestair Docteur, I no disturb you?” she inquired.
“Certainly not, madame; what can I do for you?”
“Ah, meestair,” she whispered, looking towards the door, “I so afraid zat my ’usban’ ’e come back and fin’ me gone; ’e terribly angry!”
“Why should he be angry?” I asked.
“He no like me to speak viz you. He no vant me to show you zis,” she answered, pointing mysteriously to her left shoulder.
“What is it that he doesn’t want me to see?”
“I go show you,” and, opening her dress, she disclosed two terrible bruises, each as large as the palm of my hand; “and zat is not all,” she continued, and, as she turned round, I saw that a deep gash disfigured one of her shoulder-blades.
I was really shocked.
“How did this happen?” I inquired.
“Oh, I fall,” she said, smiling coquettishly at me.