The woman looked at him. “You don’t know me, Mr. White?” she said.
He looked hard in return. “No,” he answered bluntly, “I don’t.”
“Ah, well, I know you,” she replied. “More by token——”
He cut her short. “Have you any message?” he asked.
“If I have, I’ll give it myself,” she retorted drily. “Truth is, I’m in two minds about it. What you have, you have, d’you see, Mr. White; but what you’ve given ain’t yours any more. Anyway——”
“Anyway,” impatiently, “you can’t stay here!”
“Very good,” she replied, “very good. As you are so kind, I’ll take a day to think of it.” And with a cool nod she turned her back on the puzzled White, and went off down the park towards the town.
He went back to Sir Robert. “She’s a stranger, sir,” he said; “and, I think, a bit gone in the head. I could make nothing of her.”
Sir Robert drew a deep breath. “You’re sure she was a stranger?” he said.
“She’s no one I know, sir. After one of the men, perhaps.”