“Absurd or not absurd it was so sent,” said Miss Susan, “and I only hope he came by it honestly; but that is no concern of mine. Paid I am, to date and more than to date, and properly grateful, I must say.”
Henrietta folded the two receipts slowly.
“Very well!” she said.
She was furious, but she had no desire to quarrel over the matter with Miss Susan. She would let Johnnie Alberson know, however, that such things could not be done. It was, as she had said, infamous. It was effrontery such as she had never imagined possible. She longed to rush to Johnnie's shop immediately and tell him so. Of course, however, that would not do. She must wait until he came.
She was interrupted by Gay and Lorna, who came down the stairs.
“Going for a walk,” Gay said. “Put on a hat and come, Henrietta.”
Henrietta slipped the receipts into her waist and took her hat from the hall rack. A walk with Gay and Lorna just then suited her well. They went up the hill, and turned, going toward the country.
“I want to tell you something,” she said, when they were striding along the country road. “There is no William Vane. I lied about him. I made him up.”
Gay laughed.
“Of course. We knew that, Henrietta.”