‘Won’t it be a pity to miss your train?’ she said, with a friendly smile.  ‘I can give you my address.’

’No doubt you can.  Look here —­ it was a toss-up whether I should let you go or not, until you said that.  If you had begged off, ten to one I should have thought I might as well save myself trouble.  But after that cursed lie ——­’

’That’s the second time you’ve used the word, Mr. Carnaby.  I’m not accustomed to it, and I shouldn’t have thought you would speak in that way to a lady.’

He was aghast at her assurance, which, for some reason, made him only the more inclined to listen to her.  He beckoned a cab.

‘Where shall we drive to?’

‘Say Clapham Junction.’

They entered the four-wheeler, and, as soon as it began to move out of the station, Mrs. Maskell leaned back.  Her claim to be considered a lady suffered no contradiction from her look, her movements, or her speech; throughout the strange dialogue she had behaved with remarkable self-command, and made use of the aptest phrases without a sign of effort.  In the years which had elapsed since she filled the position of housekeeper to Mrs. Carnaby, she seemed to have gained in the externals of refinement; though even at that time her manners were noticeably good.

‘Raise your veil, please,’ said Hugh, when he had pulled up the second window.

She obliged him, and showed a face of hard yet regular outline, which would have been almost handsome but for its high cheek-bones and coarse lips.

‘And you have been going about all this time, openly?’

’With discretion.  I am not perfect, unfortunately.  Rather than lose sixpence at the bookstall, I forgot myself.  That’s a woman’s weakness; we don’t easily get over it.’

‘What put it into your head to speak of my wife?’

‘I had to gain time, had I not?’

In a sudden burst of wrath, Hugh banged the window open; but, before he could call to the cabman, a voice sounded in his ear, a clear quick whisper, the lips that spoke all but touching him.

‘Do you know that your wife is Mr. Redgrave’s mistress?’

He fell back.  There was no blood in his face; his eyes stared hideously.

‘Say that again, and I’ll crush the life out of you!’

‘You look like it, but you won’t.  My information is too valuable.’

‘It’s the vilest lie ever spoken by whore and thief.’

‘You are not polite, Mr. Carnaby.’

She still controlled herself, but in fear, as quick glances showed.  And her fear was not unreasonable; the man glared murder.

‘Stop that, and tell me what you have to say.’

Mrs. Maskell raised the window again.

’You have compelled me, you see.  It’s a pity.  I don’t want to make trouble.’

‘What do you know of Redgrave?’

‘I keep house for him at Wimbledon.’

‘You?’