V
Sir Charles Sperrigoe
I stood silently watching Madrasia as she broke open her letter, drew out the scrap of paper inside (Parslewe, as I had already noticed, was an absolute miser in his use of stationery, and made any stray fragment serve his immediate purpose), and read whatever was there written. The slight pucker of astonishment between her eyebrows deepened to a frown, and with a gesture that was not exactly definable she tossed the paper across to me.
"What on earth does that mean?" she exclaimed. "And where is he?"
I glanced at this second communication; it was comprised in one line—
"Be a good girl and do as you're told."
"Do as you're told!" she added. "Good heavens!—who's to do the telling?"
I silently handed her my letter; she looked more astonished than ever when she read it.
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