“I feel—awfully faint,” she said.
She went feebly, but quickly, to the window which looked on to the Square, drew away the curtain, opened the window and leaned out. The cab had stopped before their door, and she saw Leo Ulford standing on the pavement with his back to the house. He was feeling in his pocket, evidently for some money to give to the cabman. If she could only attract his attention somehow and send him away! She glanced back. Fritz was coming towards her with a look of surprise on his face.
“Leave me alone,” she said unevenly. “I only want some air.”
“But—”
“Leave me—oh, do leave me alone!”
He stopped, but stood staring at her in blank amazement. She dared not do anything. Leo Ulford stretched out his arm towards the cabman, who bent down from his perch. He took the money, looked at it, then bent down again, showing it to Leo and muttering something. Doubtless he was saying that it was not enough. She turned round again sharply to Fritz.
“Fritz,” she said, “be a good dog. Go upstairs to my room and fetch me some eau de Cologne, will you?”
“But—”
“It’s on my dressing-table—the gold bottle on the right. You know. I feel so bad. I’ll stay here. The air will bring me round perhaps.”
She caught hold of the curtain, like a person on the point of swooning.