Miss Lavinia might possibly have taken a less hopeful view of the
circumstances, if she had known that one of the men-servants at Muswell
Hill was in Richard Turlington's pay, and that this servant had seen
Launce leave the grounds by the back-garden gate.
NINTH SCENE.
The Drawing-Room.
"Amelia!"
"Say something."
"Ask him to sit down."
Thus addressing one another in whispers, the three stepdaughters of
Lady Winwood stood bewildered in their own drawing-room, helplessly
confronting an object which appeared before them on the threshold of the
door.
The date was the 23d of December. The time was between two and three in
the afternoon. The occasion was the return of the three sisters from the
Committee meeting of the Sacred Concerts' Society. And the object was
Richard Turlington.
He stood hat in hand at the door, amazed by his reception. "I have come
up this morning from Somersetshire," he said. "Haven't you heard? A
matter of business at the office has forced me to leave my guests at my
house in the country.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126