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The conversation recorded in the last chapter took place (I forgot to say) on Saturday afternoon. It was while he was at tea downstairs that a message was brought in to Reeves telling him that a lady wished to see him on urgent business. She would not give her name, but she was waiting for him in what was called "the small lounge"⁠—a dreary little room, which had something of the air of a hospital waiting-room; she would be glad if he could come as soon as possible. Disregarding Gordon's suggestion that he should take Carmichael with him as a chaperon, he made his way to the small lounge with some feeling of self-importance, and found himself most unexpectedly confronted with Miss Rendall-Smith.

"I'm afraid you think badly of me, Mr. Reeves," she said, "and you'll probably think worse of me before I've finished." (Reeves gurgled dissent.) "The other day I turned you out of the house and told you to your face you were a liar. And that's a bad introduction for me when I have to come to you, as I come now, asking for your help."

Reeves was horribly embarrassed. You can offer