“I am sorry, Miss Lindley, I am afraid you have no help for yourself. Lady Ursula Redmayne intends to buy it.”
This was not at all the right kind of thing to say to me. I was very proud, and all my pride flashed into my face.
“You think because I am poor, and Lady Ursula is rich, that she is to have my property?” I said. “You must send a messenger for the ring at once. I will wait here until he returns.”
Poor Madame Leroy looked absolutely stupefied.
“I never met such a queer young lady,” she said. “How can I send a message of that sort? Why, it will offend my best, my very best customer. If you have no pity on yourself, Miss Lindley, you ought to have some on me.”
“What can I do for you, Madame Leroy? I cannot sell the ring.”
“Well, you might go yourself to Lady Ursula. She is eccentric. She might take a fancy to you. You might go to her, and explain your motives, which are more than I can understand. And above all things you might exonerate me; you might explain to her that I did my best to get the ring for her.”
“I could certainly do that.”
“Will you?”
“I will go to Lady Ursula, if it does not take up too much of my time.”