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"I'm going to take you home with me for to-night," I said,
severely. "I have an excellent French housekeeper who will look
after your comfort. And to-morrow if that infernal young
scoundrel of a lover of yours is not found, it will not be the
fault of the police force of Great Britain."
She laid her grubby little hand on mine. It was very soft and
cool.
"You are cross with me. Why?"
I removed her hand.
"You mustn't do that again," said I. "No; I am not in the least
cross with you. But I hope you are aware that this event is of
an unprecedented character."
"What is an unprecedented character?" she asked, stumbling over
the long words.
"A thing that has never happened before and I devoutly hope will
not happen again."
Her face was turned to me. The lower lip trembled a little. The
dog-look came into those wonderful eyes.
"You will be kind to me?" she said, in her childish
monosyllables, each word carefully articulated with a long pause
between.
I felt I had behaved like a heartless brute, ever since I thrust
her into the cab at Waterloo.


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