"We are certainly going to happen," the girl said, with an acceptance of
the plural which deepened the intimacy of the situation, and which was
not displeasing to Verrian when she added, "If our friend's vehicle holds
out." Then she turned her face full upon him, with what affected him as
austere resolution, in continuing, "But I can't let you suppose that
you're conveying a society person, or something of that sort, to Mrs.
Westangle's." His own face expressed his mystification, and she
concluded, "I'm simply going there to begin my work."

He smiled provisionally in temporizing with the riddle. "You women are
wonderful, nowadays, for the work you do."

"Oh, but," she protested, nervously, anxiously, "it isn't good work that
I'm going to do--I understand what you mean--it's work for a living.
I've no business to be arriving with an invited guest, but it seemed to
be a question of arriving or not at the time when I was due."




IX.

Verrian stared at her now from a visage that was an entire blank, though
behind it conjecture was busy, and he was asking himself whether his
companion was some new kind of hair-dresser, or uncommonly cultivated
manicure, or a nursery governess obeying a hurry call to take a place in
Mrs. Westangle's household, or some sort of amateur housekeeper arriving
to supplant a professional. But he said nothing.

Miss Shirley said, with a distress which was genuine, though he perceived