‘Don’t be too sure of that. He might win you over. He can talk.’
‘I should not be so readily pleased as another might.’
She bent towards me, and said in an almost hissing whisper—
‘Wilfrid, I hate him!’
I started. She looked what she said. The blood shot to my heart, and again rushed to my face. But suddenly she retreated into her own room, and noiselessly closed the door. The same moment I heard that of a further room open, and presently Miss Brotherton peeped in.
‘How do you do, Mr Cumbermede?’ she said. ‘You are already hard at work, I see.’
I was, in fact, doing nothing. I explained that I could not make a commencement without the use of another room.
‘I will send the housekeeper, and you can arrange with her,’ she said, and left me.
In a few minutes Mrs Wilson entered. Her manner was more stiff and formal than ever. We shook hands in a rather limp fashion.
‘You’ve got your will at last, Mr Cumbermede,’ she said, ‘I suppose the thing’s to be done!’