“You’re wanted on the telephone, Miss Judy,” said the maid. “It’s Dawson, and she wants to speak to you most particularly, Miss.”
“Dawson!” exclaimed Judy. “I hope it doesn’t mean …” but without finishing her sentence she ran to the telephone, which was downstairs.
“Is that you, Miss Judy?” asked Dawson. “We’re a little upset here to-night. A telegram came from Miss McPherson about Mr. de Lisle, and it seems the poor gentleman’s quite ill, and wants to see you or Mr. Eric. We’ve rung up Mr. Eric, and he says he can’t possibly get away this week. So we wondered if you could go, Miss. It would mean leaving at once, Miss Judy.”
Judy didn’t hesitate.
“Of course I’ll go. Tell Madame Claire I’ll go to-morrow. Is she in bed?”
“She is, Miss. The telegram should have come two hours ago, but it was sent to the wrong room. We do think, Miss, that it would be better in a way for Mr. Eric to go, but we don’t like to take any risks, in case the old gentleman’s very ill indeed. And it’s out of the question for us to go ourselves, Miss.”
“But of course I’ll go!” Judy repeated. “Dawson, tell Madame Claire not to worry, and that I’ll be off the very minute I can get a passport. I’m so sorry for poor old Mr. de Lisle. Is Madame Claire very much upset?”
“Well, not what you’d call upset,” Dawson replied. “We do keep calm, Miss, whatever happens. But it is sad, the time being so near when he hoped to come to England.”
“He’ll come yet, I feel sure. I’ll send a wire to-morrow to say I’m leaving. I’ll probably come in the morning for a minute to say good-by. Give Madame Claire my love, and tell her the trip will be a godsend to me.”
She went straight to her mother with the news. Millie was thoroughly annoyed.