Presently he rang his bell.
"Who comes next, Soames?"
"Lady Rutherven, Sir John, but—but a lady who has no appointment has been waiting for more than an hour, and I thought perhaps you would see her first. She seems very ill."
"Show her in!"
A second later the door swung open again and Soames announced:
"Miss Blackall!"
Sir John started, but recovered himself in the next instant.
"Take a seat, madam."
He waved her to a chair and for several minutes they looked at each other without speaking. The woman was the first to break the silence.
"I have come back," she said with a nervous laugh. "I am ill; I thought you might try to cure me."