“She can’t be produced,” said Lady Charlotte desperately.
“That really does make things serious.”
“Oh, don’t misunderstand me! The child is in excellent hands—excellent hands. But there are—neighbours. She was told to keep indoors, carefully told. What must she do but rush out at the first chance! She had had fair warning that there were measles about, she had had measles explained to her carefully, yet she must needs go and make friends with a lot of dirty little wretches!”
“And catch measles.”
“Exactly.”
“That’s why—?”
“That’s why—”
“There again, Lady Charlotte, and again with all due respect, haven’t you been just a little careless? At that nice, airy school in Surrey there was never any contagion—of any sort.”
“There was no proper religious teaching.”
“Was there any where you placed these children?”