“I’m sorry to say,” said Lalage, “that we go home to-morrow. The steamer sails at 11 a.m.”
“Surely there can be no real need for such hurry. Now that we have Miss Battersby among us the Archdeacon and Hilda’s mother will be quite satisfied.”
“It’s not that in the least,” said Lalage. “Is it, Hilda?”
Hilda said something about return tickets, but Lalage snubbed her. I gathered that there was reason for precipitancy more serious than the by-laws of the steamboat company.
“I am confident,” I said, “that Selby-Harrison is capable of carrying on the work of exterminating bishops.”
“It’s not that either,” said Lalage. “The fact is that we have come to Lisbon on business, not for pleasure. You’ve probably guessed that already.”
“I feared it. Of the two reasons you gave me this morning for coming here——”
“I haven’t told you any reason yet,” said Lalage.
“Excuse me, but when we first met this morning you said distinctly that you had come to see me. I hardly flattered myself that could really be true.”
“It was,” said Lalage. “Quite true.”