“Elaine is very careless, leaves her jewels scattered about, hardly troubles to put them away securely at night. If you should be tempted to appropriate anything, she might not discover her loss for days; and then, again, she might. And if you were caught—consider what shame and disgrace!”
“I think I see,” the girl said, slowly, after some difficult thinking. “You don’t want me to go.”
“To the contrary, I do—but I want more than anything else in the world that my daughter should be sure of herself and fall into no irreparable error.”
“But I am sure of myself—I have told you that.”
“Then let us fret no more about it, but accept, and go prepared to enjoy ourselves. I will send the letter.”
Victor rang, and Shaik Tsin presented himself so quickly that Sofia wondered dully where he could have been waiting. In the room with them, perhaps? It wasn’t impossible. The Chinaman’s thick soles of felt enabled him to move about without making the least noise.
“Have this posted immediately.”
Shaik Tsin bowed deeply, and backed away with the letter. Unless she turned to watch him, Sofia could not say whether he left the room or not.
She offered to rise.
“If that is all ...”