“Yes.”
After replying in the affirmative, she stopped, considered for a moment, and suddenly contradicted herself.
“No,” she said, “not quite well. I am suffering a little from toothache.”
As she altered her first answer in those words she gave a twist to her hair with the comb, so that it fell forward and hid her face.
At breakfast she was very silent, and she took nothing but a cup of tea.
“Let me go to the chemist’s and get something,” said Mrs. Wragge.
“No, thank you.”
“Do let me!”
“No!”
She refused for the second time, sharply and angrily. As usual, Mrs. Wragge submitted, and let her have her own way. When breakfast was over, she rose, without a word of explanation, and went out. Mrs. Wragge watched her from the window and saw that she took the direction of the chemist’s shop.