“This is Wednesday... Wednesday afternoon. You remember what was to happen on Wednesday afternoon?... Bernard has just had a wire to say that his mother has had a stroke. He is going to her at once—we are both going. He says I am to nurse her... We leave in—er—in a quarter of an hour... Grizel! I... I was just starting for the summer-house, when he met me with this news. There is no time for—anything... Will you explain?”
Grizel’s voice came back in instant reassurement.
“Cassandra, I will! Leave it to me... Cassandra, darling, how long are you to be away?”
“I don’t know. How should I? Goodness knows!” cried Cassandra bitterly.
Like a faint, sweet echo came back the words in Grizel’s deepest tones:
“Goodness knows!”