"What does the doctor say about her?"
"He's a good one, the doctor. Sometimes he says she would get better if she could see the kid through the window."
"Nonsense!"
"And if she was took to the country."
"Then why does not William take her?"
"My! you are green! And if she drank port wines."
"Doesn't she?"
"No; but William he tells her about the gentlemen drinking them."
On the tenth day after my conversation with this unattractive child I was in my brougham, with the windows up, and I sat back, a paper before my face lest any one should look in. Naturally I was afraid of being seen in company of William's wife and Jenny, for men about town are uncharitable, and, despite the explanation I had ready, might have charged me with pitying William. As a matter of fact, William was sending his wife into Surrey to stay with an old nurse of mine, and I was driving her down because my horses needed an outing. Besides, I was going that way, at any rate.
I had arranged that the girl Jenny, who was wearing an outrageous bonnet, should accompany us, because, knowing the greed of her class, I feared she might blackmail me at the club.