"Certainly you may."
"I should have stayed with Decima until now, talking about mamma, but a gentleman came in."
"A gentleman?" echoed Lady Verner.
"Yes. Some one tall and very thin. Decima called him Jan. After that, I went to my room again. I could not find it at first," she added, with a pleasant little laugh. "I looked into two; but neither was mine, for I could not see the boxes. Then I changed my dress, and came down."
"I hope you had my maid to assist you," quickly remarked Lady Verner.
"Some one assisted me. When I had my dress on, ready to be fastened, I looked out to see if I could find any one to do it, and I did. A servant was at the end of the corridor, by the window."
"But, my dear Miss Tempest, you should have rung," exclaimed Lady Verner, half petrified at the young lady's unformed manners, and privately speculating upon the sins Mrs. Cust must have to answer for. "Was it Thérèse?"
"I don't know," replied Lucy. "She was rather old, and had a broom in her hand."
"Old Catherine, I declare! Sweeping and dusting as usual! She might have soiled your dress."
"She wiped her hands on her apron," said Lucy simply. "She had a nice face: I liked it."