might go out or not, or even to go to Miss Starbrow's room, but kept to
her own cold apartment, working and grieving, and seeing no one except
the maid. Rosie came and went, but she was moody, or else afraid to use
her tongue, and silent. On the following morning Miss Starbrow left the
house at an early hour, and Fan resigned herself to yet another cold
solitary day. About eleven o'clock Rosie came running up in no little
excitement with a telegram addressed to "Miss Affleck." She took it,
wondering a little at the change in the maid's manner, but not thinking
much about it, for she had never received a telegram before, and it
startled and troubled her to have one thrust into her hand. Rosie stood
by, anxiously waiting to hear its contents.

"How long are you going to be about it?" she exclaimed. "Let me read it
for you."

Fan held it back, and went on perusing it slowly. It was from Miss
Starbrow at Twickenham, and said: "Come to me here by train from
Westbourne Park Station. Bring two or three dresses and all you will
require in my bag. Shall remain here several days. The housekeeper will
meet you at Twickenham Station."

She allowed Rosie to read the message, and was told that Twickenham was
very near London; that she must take a cab to get quickly to Westbourne
Park Station, so as not to keep Miss Starbrow waiting. Then, while Fan
changed her dress and got herself ready, the maid selected one of Miss
Starbrow's best bags and busied herself in folding up and packing as many
of Fan's things as she could cram into it. Then she ran out to call a
cab, leaving Fan again studying the telegram and feeling strangely
perplexed at being thus suddenly sent for by her mistress, who had gone
out of the house without speaking one word to her.