“Will Miss Battersby be any use? I should hardly have thought her the sort of person who would deal successfully with a frantic mother.”
“She’s tremendously respectable,” said Lalage, “and Hilda’s mother will have absolute confidence in her the moment she sees her. Remember how she agreed to that Portugal trip once she knew Pussy was to be with us, and she hadn’t even seen her then. When I trot her out there’ll be absolutely no further trouble. Good-bye, I must be darting on.”
Lalage put her foot on the pedal and balanced the bicycle.
I stopped her again.
“You said something about my going to the rectory,” I said. “What am I to do when I get there?”
“Attend to Hilda’s mother of course.”
“Do you mean that I’m to take a basin of hot water and a sponge and wash her nose? I couldn’t possibly. I don’t know her nearly well enough. I’d hardly venture to do such a thing to Hilda herself.”
“I wasn’t thinking of the smut on her nose,” said Lalage. “What I want you to do is to keep her in play till I get back. I sha’n’t be long, but it’s not possible to start Pussy Battersby off on the first hop. She’ll want to titivate a little.”
“If you think I’ll be any use——”
“Of course you will. You’re very nearly as respectable to look at as Pussy Battersby.”