The next moment the two figures, duplicates of somberness, one magnificently upright, the other shrinking, were re-passing over the muting rugs, through the corridor of noble marble, by the lackeys between whose common palms and the hands of patrician guests was the antiseptic intermediary of white thread gloves.
"Perhaps it's just as well, ma'am," Matilda began tremulously as soon as they were in the street, before Mrs.De Peyster's black storm could burst.

"How much would that suite have been ?" "Perhaps fifty dollars a day." "I only just now thought about it--but--but please, ma'am, did you happen to bring your purse ?" "My purse!" Mrs.De Peyster stopped short.

"Matilda!"-- in a voice chilled with dismay--"I never thought of my purse until this moment! There wasn't time! I haven't a cent!" "And after paying for the cab, ma'am, I have only a little over fifteen dollars." "Matilda!" "Perhaps, ma'am," repeated Matilda, "it was just as well they wouldn't take us." Mrs.De Peyster did not speak.
"And what's worse," Matilda faltered, as though the blame was hers, "the hotels won't trust you unless you have baggage.

And we have no baggage, ma'am." "Matilda!" There was now real tragedy in Mrs.De Peyster's voice.
"What _are_ we going to do ?" They walked along the Park, whispering over their unforeseen and unforeseeable predicament.

It had many aspects, their situation; it was quickly clear to them that the most urgent aspect was the need of immediate refuge.