'I meant to pin a paper on the door to say I wasn't to be called till ten,' said the lady, as though keeping up the little pretence of not being pleased.
'Didn't you sleep well, 'm?' The maid managed wholly to denude the question of its usual grace of solicitude.
'Yes; but it was so late when I began. We didn't get back till nearly three.'
'I didn't get much sleep, either.' It was an unheard-of admission from Wark.
'Oh!' said Vida, lazily sipping her tea. 'Bad conscience?'
'No,' she said slowly, 'no.'
As the woman raised her light eyes, Miss Levering saw, to her astonishment, that the lids were red. Wark, too, seemed uncomfortably aware of something unusual in her face, for she turned it away, and busied herself in smoothing down the near corner of the bath blanket.
'What kept you awake?' Miss Levering asked.
'Well, I suppose I'd better tell you while the other people aren't round. I want a day or two to go into the country.'