What I did not learn were the exact terms of her answer.
Next morning Alfred, when he called me, brought me a note from his mistress which I fully expected would contain a request that I should depart by the same train as her other guests.

Its real contents, however, were very different.
"My dear Friend," it ran, "I am so ashamed of myself and so sorry for my rudeness last night, for which I deeply apologise.

If you knew all that I had gone through at the hands of those dreadful mendicants, you would forgive me .-- L.R." "P.S .-- I have ordered breakfast at 10.

Don't go down much before, for your own sake." Somewhat relieved in my mind, for I thought she was really angry with me, not altogether without cause, I rose, dressed and set to work to write some letters.

While I was doing so I heard the wheels of a carriage beneath and opening my window, saw the Atterby-Smith family in the act of departing in the Castle bus.