From that moment her assurance faltered, and with the loss of her ease, she lost something, too, of her respectful manner.

A note of impertinence became audible.
"Very happy, I'm sure," she said.
"The motor-car delivered the message at midnight," Lady Splay resumed, "and--this is what I ask your attention to, Jenny--the editor, in order to obtain corroboration of the message before he inserted it in his paper, rang up Rackham Park." Lady Splay paused for Jenny's comment, but none was uttered then.

Jenny was listening with a concentration of all her thoughts.

Here was a new fact of which she was ignorant, creeping into the affair.

Whither did it lead?
Did it strike her weapon from her hand?
Upset her fine plan of avenging her dear mistress's most unhappy life?
She would not believe it.
"He rang up Rackham Park--mark the time, Jenny--at a few minutes after twelve," said Lady Splay impressively, and Jenny's uneasiness was markedly increased.
"Fancy that!" she returned flippantly.