But the moment she came within the range of light thrown by the shaded electric lamp on the table at the foot of the bed, Lady Sarah’s face changed. A look of intense horror appeared in her face, and her hand dropped, as she met Rhoda’s eyes with a startled look, and, recognising her at once, said hoarsely, under her breath:
“Miss Pembury!”
CHAPTER V.
LADY SARAH’S RECOGNITION
Rhoda was abashed and shocked by the expression on Lady Sarah’s face. She had, indeed, felt rather nervous about the meeting, but she had not expected that the sight of her would cause so much dismay to Sir Robert’s wife.
There was not the least doubt that she recognised the girl in a moment.
She forgot all about her child in her excitement at the meeting, and it was not until Caryl had plucked at her sleeve three or four times, that she bent over him again, and answered him.
“Yes, yes, dear. I know it is Rhoda,” she said.
She had recovered herself, and the next moment she had come round the little bed, seized Rhoda’s hand, and was shaking it with warmth as unexpected as her manifest horror had been.
“Miss Pembury! Why, of course, I might have remembered the name! But for the moment I didn’t. It’s the Miss Rhoda Pembury who fell off her bicycle and was brought in here by Sir Robert, years and years ago, before we were married, isn’t it?”
“Ye-es,” stammered Rhoda, quite bewildered by this rapid change in the lady.