“Now tell me your own story—everything from the moment you got the telegram up to our meeting in the Gardens.”
With half-averted face she listened, while the girl again began the interrupted narration, and went on telling everything to the finish, wondering at times why Mary sat so silent with face averted, as if afraid to meet her eyes. But when she finished Mary turned and took her hand.
“Poor Fan,” she said, “you have gone through a dreadful experience, and scarcely seem to understand even now what danger you were in. But there will be time enough to talk of all this—to congratulate you on such a fortunate escape; just now I have got to deal with that infamous wretch of a girl who still poisons the house with her presence.”
She rose and rung the bell sharply, and when the boy in buttons answered it, she ordered him to send Rosie to her.
“She's gone,” said he.
“Gone! what do you mean—when did she go?”
“Just now, ma'am. She came up to speak to you when you came in, and then she got her box down and went away in a cab.”
Miss Starbrow then sent for the cook. “What does this mean about Rosie's going?” she demanded of that person. “How came you to let her go without informing me?”
“She came down and said she had had some words with you, and was going to leave because Miss Fan had been took back.”
“And the wretch has then got away with my jewellery! What else did she say?”