" . . .
Tavernake, instead of obeying his first impulse and making his
way direct to the Milan Court, walked to the flat in Kingsway,
climbed up the stone steps, and asked for Beatrice. She met him
at her own door, fully dressed.
"My dear Leonard!" she exclaimed, in surprise. "What an early
caller!"
"I want a few words with you," he said. "Can you spare me five
minutes?"
"You must walk with me to the theatre," she replied, "I am just
off to rehearsal."
They descended the stairs together.
"I have something to tell you," Tavernake began, "something to
tell you which you won't like to hear."
"Something which I won't like to hear," she repeated, fearfully.
"Go on, Leonard. It can't be worse than it sounds."
"I don't know why I've come to tell you," he went on. "I never
meant to. It came into my mind all of a sudden and I felt that I
must. It has to do with your sister and the Marston Rise
affair."
"My sister and the Marston Rise affair!" Beatrice exclaimed,
incredulously.
Then a sudden light broke in upon her. She stopped short and
clutched at his hand.
"You don't mean that it was Elizabeth who was going to find you
the money?" she cried.
"I do," he answered. "She offered it of her own accord. I do
not know why I talked to her of my own affairs, but she led me on
to speak of them. Your sister is a wonderful person," he
continued, dropping his voice. "I don't know why, but she made
me talk as no one else has ever made me talk before.
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