She seemed to be trying to carry herself back to England, to the England of her land-agent and her select visiting list.

Here she was no more superior than if we had been on a desert island.

I wanted to enlighten her as to the woman she was sheltering--wanted to very badly; but a necessity for introducing the matter seemed to arise as she gradually stiffened into assertiveness.
"My dear aunt," I said, "the woman...." The alien nature of the theme grew suddenly formidable.

She looked at me arousedly.
"You got my note then," she said.

"But I don't think a woman _can_ have brought it.