Yet with no facts at her disposal Miss Grey took the only wise course, she reserved judgment.
Thirty-six hours later, just after dusk, Colonel Dalton, accompanied by the lieutenant who was one of his aides, rode up to the Sacred Heart Hospital. He went straight into the business office of the superintendent, where he spent half an hour with Miss Grey, Mrs. Payne and other persons in positions of trust.
At the close of that time a command was issued, asking the surgeons, nurses and servants in relays of eight or ten to come into the office in order that Colonel Dalton might question them. No one, of course, except Nona Davis, had any conception of why a British officer should be devoting his valuable time to interviewing the members of a hospital staff for any purpose whatsoever.
But by chance Eugenia, Mildred, Barbara and Nona, Lady Mathers, Alexina McIntyre and Lady Dorian made one of the latest groups. It was not by chance, however, that Nona went first to Lady Dorian’s tiny room at the top of the tallest tower and asked that they might go downstairs together.
To the girl’s horror Lady Dorian absolutely refused to accompany her.
She was sitting by a window with only a lighted taper in the room, apparently nervous and unhappy.
“Please present my respects to Commander Dalton,” she said, “and say that as I am not well it will be impossible for me to see him.” Lady Dorian spoke so quietly, as if there were no question of her wish not being respected, that Nona was frightened.
“But you must come, please,” the younger girl urged. “I am afraid you don’t realize how important it is that all of us be present. Don’t you appreciate that whatever reason Colonel Dalton may have for talking with us, it would not look well for any one of us to refuse to be interviewed?”
But Nona’s arguments and persuasions proved of no avail. Finally she had to go down to the office with the others, leaving Lady Dorian in her own room.
Nevertheless Nona did not dare repeat aloud the message her friend had given her. She only whispered its substance confusedly in Miss Grey’s ear and the next moment the superintendent left the room.