mrs. lorrimer came out of a certain door in harley street. she stood for a minute at the top of the steps, and then she descended them slowly. there was a curious expression on her facea mingling of grim determination and of strange indecision. she bent her brows a little, as though to concentrate on some all-absorbing problem. it was just then that she caught sight of anne meredith on the opposite pavement. anne was standing staring up at a big block of flats just on the corner. mrs. lorrimer hesitated a moment, then she crossed the road. "how do you do, miss meredith?" anne started and turned. "oh, how do you do?" "still in london?" said mrs. lorrimer. "no. i've only come up for the day. to do some legal business." her eyes were still straying back to the big block of flats. mrs. lorrimer said: "is anything the matter?" anne started guiltily. "the matter? oh, no, what should be the matter?" "you were looking as though you had something on your mind." "i haven't--well, at least i have, but it's nothing important, something quite silly." she laughed a little. she went on: "it's only that i thought i saw my friend--the girl i live with--go in there, and i wondered if she'd gone to see mrs. oliver." "is that where mrs. oliver lives? i didn't know." "yes. she came to see us the other day and she gave us her address and asked us to come and see her. i wondered if it was rhoda i saw or not." "do you want to go up and see?" "no, i'd rather not do that." ' "come and have tea with me," said mrs. lorrimer. "there is a shop quite near here that i know." "it's very kind of you," said anne, hesitating.
"oh, anne, you want your tea." "no, i don't. i've had it. with mrs. lorrimer." "mrs. lorrimer? isn't that the one the one who was there?" anne nodded. "where did you come across her? did you go and see her?" "no. i ran across her in harley street." "what was she like?" anne said slowly: "i don't know. she was--rather queer. not at all like the other night." "do you still think she did it?" asked rhoda. anne was silent for a minute or two. then she said: "i don't know. don't let's talk of it, rhoda! you know how i hate talking of things." "all right, darling. what was the solicitor like? very dry and legal?" "rather alert and jewish." "sounds all right." she waited a little and then said: "how was major despard?" "very kind." "he's fallen for you, anne. i'm sure he has." "rhoda, don't talk nonsense." "well, you'll see." rhoda began humming to herself. she thought: "of course he's fallen for her. anne's awfully pretty. but a bit wishy washy she'll never go on treks with him. why, she'd scream if she saw a snake men always do take fancies to unsuitable women." then she said aloud. "that bus will take us to paddington. we'll just catch the 4:48."
