"Of course, there's always a risk. That's how a young lady at 'Dawes'' died last year. But the nursing home she was in managed to hush it up."
Mavis showed her perplexity in her face.
Miss Allen, unaccustomed to such a fallow ear, could not resist giving further information of a like nature.
"You are green, 'B. C.' I suppose you'll be saying next you don't know what Mrs Stanley is."
"I don't."
"Go on!"
"What is she?"
"She's awfully well known; she gets hold of pretty young girls new to London for rich men: that's why she was so keen on you."
As Mavis still did not understand, Miss Allen explained the nature of the lucrative and time immemorial profession to which Mrs Stanley belonged.
For the rest of the way, Mavis was so astonished at all she had heard, that she did not say any more; she scarcely listened to Miss Allen, who jabbered away at her side.