“Don’t hurry, Maria,” said Mr. Anderson.
“I have some things that require my attention. I will call again soon.”
“When Basil returns I shall send for you and the boy to dine with me. Mind, you must bring the boy then at any rate.”
“Oh, yes, without fail. And so Basil will be here next Monday?”
“Yes, that is when I expect him.”
Mrs. Harcourt went back to the hotel in a disturbed state of mind.
“Basil must not meet Edwin,” she said in a tone of decision. “He would penetrate the imposture. It is not safe for me to stay in New York. I must leave the city, and that before Basil returns. Where shall I go?”
Mrs. Harcourt was a woman of energy and decision.
She ordered a cab and drove to the offices of the Cunard steamer.
“What steamer sails next Saturday?” she asked.