"I still----"
Anna stopped short. Suddenly she understood. She grew perhaps a shade
paler, and she glanced out into the street, where her four-wheeler
cab, laden with luggage, was still waiting.
"Sir John of course disapproves of me," she remarked slowly.
"Sir John is a man of the world," her aunt answered coldly. "He
naturally does not wish for connexions which are--I do not wish to
hurt you feelings, Anna, but I must say it--not altogether desirable."
The irrepressible smile curved Anna's lips. She glanced towards her
sister, and curiously enough found in her face some faint reflection
of her own rather sombre mirth. She leaned back in her chair. It was
no use. The smile had become a laugh. She laughed till the tears stood
in her eyes.
"I had a visit from Sir John in my rooms," she said. "Did he tell you,
Annabel?"
"Yes."
"He mentioned the matter to me also," Miss Pellissier remarked
stiffly. "The visit seems to have made a most painful impression upon
him. To tell you the truth, he spoke to me very seriously upon the
subject."
Anna sprang up.
"I will be off," she declared. "My cab with all that luggage would
give the whole show away. Good-bye, aunt."
Miss Pellissier tried ineffectually to conceal her relief.
"I do not like to seem inhospitable, Anna," she said hesitatingly.
"And of course you are my niece just as Annabel is, although I am
sorry to learn that your conduct has been much less discreet than
hers. But at the same time, I must say plainly that I think your
presence here just now would be a great misfortune. I wish very much
that you had written before leaving Paris."
Anna nodded.
"Quite right," she said. "I ought to have done. Good-bye aunt. I'll
come and see you again later on. Annabel, come to the door with me,"
she added a little abruptly. "There is something which I must say to
you."
Annabel rose and followed her sister from the room. A maidservant held
the front door open. Anna sent her away.
"Annabel," she said brusquely. "Listen to me."
"Well?"
"Sir John came to me--that you know--and you can guess what I told
him. No, never mind about thanking me. I want to ask you a plain
question, and you must answer me faithfully. Is all that folly done
with--for ever?"
Annabel shivered ever so slightly.
"Of course it is, Anna. You ought to know that. I am going to make a
fresh start."
"Be very sure that you do," Anna said slowly. "If I thought for a
moment that there was any chance of a relapse, I should stop here and
tell him the truth even now."
Annabel looked at her with terrified eyes.
"Anna," she cried, "you must believe me. I am really in earnest. I
would not have him know--now--for the world."