“Is Mr. Rotherfield married?”
Mrs. Hawkes looked at her quickly.
“No, he’s not married,” she said slowly. “I think he’s in love too often to fix upon any one lady.”
There was something in her face that prevented Rhoda from asking any more questions on that subject. Indeed, Mrs. Hawkes was not prepared to answer any more, for she changed the subject and said: “Do you remember the two children who were here at the time of your accident, miss?”
“Why, yes, of course I do. George and Minnie. What has become of them? The Terrors you used to call them.”
“And the Terrors they are still,” said Mrs. Hawkes emphatically. “They’re away now; Master George he’s at Sandhurst, and Miss Minnie she’s staying in Normandy with friends for the summer holidays. But they live here still, and I don’t say I’d be without them, though their battles with my lady don’t give one much peace.”
“Battles?”
“Yes, they’re just what they always were, and the plague of all our lives.”
“I wonder whether they’ll recognise me!” said Rhoda.
“Trust them for it!”