“I cannot; you must not question me.”
“Then, at least understand one thing,” said Lady Georgina in a determined voice—“where you go, I go.”
“You!” answered Nance, looking up with a queer expression in her eyes. Her mouth suddenly twitched with emotion which she could scarcely control.
“No,” she said, “you are kind—you are very kind, you are my best friend after my husband, but I must do this thing alone. It is part of the agony that it must be done alone and without help; I must consult no one. I must go to town by myself.”
“My dear little girl, you must do nothing of the kind. I have no wish to spy into your secret. You can see whoever you wish to see by yourself, but your husband put you into my care, and where you go, Nancy, I go.”
“As you please; I have no strength to argue about the matter,” said Nancy in a faint voice.
She went up to her room to put on her travelling cloak and bonnet, and found Hester waiting for her. Hester was neatly dressed in her travelling things.
“Of course you want me to go with you, madam?” she said.
“I think not, Hester,” replied Nance, “If I stay in town for any length of time I will telegraph to you to join me, but you are not to accompany me to-day.”