It suited Mrs. Sharpe to be gracious; and exceedingly Victoria Regina was old Mrs. Sharpe when she was being gracious. Mr. Heseltine was more than relieved; he capitulated. Robert's first battle was over.
When they were alone Robert noticed that Marion had been waiting to say something.
"An odd thing happened this morning," she said. "We went to the Ann Boleyn place to have coffee-we quite often do-and there were two vacant tables, but when Miss Truelove saw us coming she very hastily tilted the chairs against the tables and said they were reserved. I might have believed her if she hadn't looked so embarrassed. You don't think that rumour has begun to get busy already, do you? That she did that because she has heard some gossip?"
"No," Robert said, sadly, "because she has read this morning's Ack-Emma." He turned the newspaper front side up. "I am sorry to have such bad news for you. You'll just have to shut your teeth and take it, as small boys say. I don't suppose you have ever seen this poisonous rag at close quarters. It's a pity that the acquaintance should begin on so personal a basis."
"Oh, no!" Marion said, in passionate protest as her eye fell on the picture of The Franchise.
And then there was unbroken silence while the two women absorbed the contents of the inner page.
"I take it," Mrs. Sharpe said at last, "that we have no redress against this sort of thing?"
"None," Robert said. "All the statements are perfectly true. And it is all statement and not comment. Even if it were comment-and I've no doubt the comment will come-there has been no charge so the case is not sub judice. They are free to comment if they please."
"The whole thing is one huge implied comment," Marion said. "That the police failed to do their duty. What do they think we did? Bribed them?"
"I think the suggestion is that the humble victim has less pull with the police than the wicked rich."