“Yes. He made me see that the only thing to do was to leave home....”
Eric sat suddenly upright and then relaxed to his former attitude, noting with quick thankfulness that his movement had been unobserved.
“What made you write to me?” he asked.
“Well, you see, everybody in my department is being demobilized, so I wanted a job. I saw you had a new play—”
“Already cast,” Eric interrupted. “And we could cast the third footman five times over with people who’ve played respectable parts for years. There’s nothing there, Miss Maitland, I’m afraid. Even if there were, I’d sooner see you living with your parents again—”
“I can’t go back.”
“I see. Well, what are you living on?”
“I saved a little money when I was with Sir Matthew. When that’s gone—”
“Oh, Gaymer would see you didn’t starve or get turned into the street,” said Eric with soft irony.
“Yes. At least he said he would—”