Bundle eyed her more attentively. She had been slightly annoyed at finding the other there. Bundle belonged to the energetic order of people who liked “to get on with it,” and she foresaw that the second visitor would have to be disposed of and got rid of before she could broach her own business. It was not a topic she could introduce before a stranger. Now, as she looked more closely, an extraordinary idea rose in her brain. Could it be?

Yes, the girl was in deep mourning; her black, silk-clad ankles showed that. It was a long shot, but Bundle was convinced that her idea was right. She drew a long breath.

“Look here,” she said, “are you by any chance Loraine Wade?”

Loraine’s eyes opened wide.

“Yes, I am. How clever of you to know. We’ve never met, have we?”

Bundle shook her head.