"I wonder she entrusted Dicky to you!"
"Oh, she knew Dicky would be all right; besides, the arrangement was that my husband was to bring him up to see Dr. Briggs. She didn't know anything about my coming. I expect when she hears he's been with me, there'll be a nice old row. However, I don't care. Nothing can make me dislike the woman more than I do. I think she's the most detestable——"
"Hush, Hilda, the boy will hear you! Run along, Dicky, and have a prowl round the house."
"But this is a flat, Miss Crane, isn't it, not a house?" said Dicky dubiously.
"Well then, the flat, dear, since you are so particular."
He looked terribly fragile Miriam thought. And the flush on his cheek and the bright light in his eyes indicated only too surely the road upon which he was travelling.
"May I go into all the rooms, Miss Crane?—even into the kitchen?"
"Yes, dear, anywhere you like—we have no blue-beard's chamber here."
"I suppose you are very happy," continued Miriam, taking in the various details of Hilda's splendour.
"Yes, I suppose so. As happy as I can hope to be. He gives me everything I want. But I wish he would leave the Army altogether. For most of this year we have been living in a horrible little garrison town, and the society there consisted solely of the wives and relations of the other officers. They were all so jealous of me that it really was quite unpleasant."