She told me so last night. I
would have told you then if Vansuythen hadn't been with you. If it is for her
sake that you'll have nothing to say to me, you can make your mind easy. It's
Kurrell'
"What?" said Mrs. Vansuythen, with an hysterical little laugh. "Kurrell! Oh,
it can't be. You two must have made some horrible mistake. Perhaps you--you
lost your temper, or misunderstood, or something. Things can't be as wrong as
you say."
Mrs. Vansuythen had shifted her defence to avoid the man's pleading, and was
desperately trying to keep him to a side-issue.
"There must be some mistake," she insisted, "and it can be all put right
again."
Boulte laughed grimly.
"It can't be Captain Kurrell! He told me that he had never taken the least--
the least interest in your wife, Mr. Boulte. Oh, do listen! He said he had
not. He swore he had not," said Mrs. Vansuythen.
The purdah rustled, and the speech was cut short by the entry of a little,
thin woman with big rings round her eyes. Mrs. Vansuythen stood up with a
gasp.
"What was that you said?" asked Mrs. Boulte. "Never mind that man. What did
Ted say to you? What did he say to you? What did he say to you?"
Mrs. Vansuythen sat down helplessly on the sofa, overborne by the trouble of
her questioner.
Pages:
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409