"Hetty," I said, "I must go away for a few hours. Mrs Ashton will take
all possible care of you." I stopped, distressed by the piteous,
helpless expression on her face.
"Mrs Ashton doesn't take any care of me," said Hetty. "She leaves me
all day long, and never, never comes near the room. Yesterday the fire
went out, and I got so hungry, so dreadfully hungry. Then the hunger
went off, and I felt only cold and very faint. I thought perhaps I was
dying. Don't leave me with Mrs Ashton, miss."
"You must call me Rosamund, Hetty. Now listen. Don't tremble, dear. I
am obliged to leave you. I have a mother and father, and--and--
brothers. Your Jack is one of my brothers. I will come back again as
soon as ever I can; and when I come I shall probably bring you a message
from Jack."
"Won't Jack come to see me himself to-day?"
"I'm afraid not. Jack does not forget you, Hetty, but the fact is, he
is ill. He has a bad headache, and has to be nursed."
"Oh," she said gently, and without any of the alarm I had anticipated.
"Sometimes his head aches fearfully, I know; I have seen it. I have sat
up all night nursing his headache. Who is taking care of him now?"
"His mother and mine, the tenderest and best of human beings."
I felt a break in my voice as I said this. I knew my mother was no
longer first in Jack's affections. I felt an unreasonable and
ridiculous sense of jealousy on my mother's account.
"Good-bye, Hetty," I said hastily; "I will bring you news of Jack; and
try and believe one thing--the Mrs Ashton of yesterday and the Mrs
Ashton of to-day are two distinctly different people. You will be taken
care of, my dear, and remember I expect to see you looking quite bright
and well this evening."
Then I ran down-stairs and out of the house. It was still too early to
go to Madame Leroy's, but the comfortable chink of gold in my purse
enabled me to spend my time profitably. I laid in fresh provisions both
for Hetty and for Jack. At twelve o'clock exactly I arrived at Madame
Leroy's. To my surprise Susan herself opened the door for me. I think
she must have been waiting on the mat inside, for the moment I rang, the
door was pulled open, and Susan said breathlessly:
"Oh, come in, Miss Rosamund, come up-stairs."
"Where is my ring, Susan?" I said, resisting her impetuous push. "Give
me back my ring at once and let me go. I have really a great deal to
do, and have not time to wait to chat with you."
"It isn't me, miss, as wants to keep you, it's Madame Leroy herself."
"Madame Leroy? What _do_ you mean?"
"And I haven't got the ring, miss. When I asked Madagie for it this
morning, she said, `When the young person calls, show her up to my
private room at once.' She said `young person,' miss, meaning no
offence, but the moment she claps her eyes on you she'll know you are a
lady born."
"I don't care what she calls me, Susan; if I must see her, I must, I
suppose. Show me to her room at once."
Susan ran on before me, past the first floor, and the second, and on to
the third floor of the great house; where she paused, and knocked
deliberately at a certain door which wanted paint, and was altogether
very shabby.
"Come in," said a voice, and I found myself in the presence of Madame
Leroy.
I suppose this great _artiste_, as she would term herself, had a certain
figure, manner, eye, tone which were capable of not only inspiring awe,
but of tickling vanity, of whetting desire, of ministering to the
weakest passions of the silliest of her sex. I may as well own at once
that her arts were thrown away on me.
She was a handsome dark-eyed woman, full in figure, tall in stature, and
with what would be called a commanding presence. I was only a slip of a
girl, badly dressed, and with no presence whatever. Nevertheless, I
could not fear the fashionable and pompous being.
"Will you kindly return me my ring, Madame Leroy?" I said brusquely.
Madame favoured me with a sweeping curtsey.
"I presume I am addressing Miss Lindley?" she said. "Pray take a seat,
Miss Lindley--I am pleased to make your acquaintance."
The moment she spoke I perceived that she was not French. She was an
English or an Irish woman, probably the latter. Her name was doubtless
an assumed one. I did not take the chair she proffered me.
"I have come for my ring," I said, in a voice which I really managed to
make very firm and business-like. "I brought it to you last night, and
you very kindly paid me five pounds for the loan of it. I want it back
now. Your servant said that if I called at twelve o'clock I should have
the ring back."
"I wish you would take a chair, Miss Lindley; I want particularly to
speak to you about the ring. I am pleased to be able to impart to you
some good news. I--" Madame Leroy paused, and slightly smacked her
lips. "I have found a purchaser for your ruby ring, Miss Lindley."