Part 9 (1/2)

”I did.”

”Where?”

”At his address. I dropped it into the letter-box on my way home after my night's work. I stayed here because somebody had to stay, and I did the best I could.”

”I'm quite sure of that,” Miss Grig agreed. ”And, of course, you've been paid for all overtime--and there's been quite a good deal. We all do the best we can. At least, I hope so.... And you've never seen Lord Mackworth since?”

”No.”

”And you simply dropped the envelope into the letter-box?”

”Yes.”

”Didn't see Lord Mackworth that morning?”

”Certainly not.”

By this time Lilian was convinced that Miss Grig's intention was to provoke her to open resentment. She guessed also that Milly must have deliberately kept silence to her, Lilian, about the Mackworth account in the hope of trouble on Miss Grig's return, and that Milly had done everything she could that morning to ensure trouble. The pot had been simmering in secret for weeks; now it was boiling over. She felt helpless and furious.

”You know,” Miss Grig proceeded, ”there's a rule in this office that night-work must only be delivered by hand by the day-staff the next day.

If it's wanted urgently before the day-staff arrives the customer must fetch it.”

”Excuse me, Miss Grig, I never heard of that rule.”

Miss Grig smiled again: ”Well, at any rate, it was your business to have heard of it, my dear. Everybody else knows about it.”

”I told Mr. Grig I was going to deliver it myself, and he didn't say anything.”

”Please don't attempt to lay the blame on my brother. He is far too good-natured.” Miss Grig's gaze burned into Lilian's face as, with an enigmatic intonation, she uttered these words. ”You did wrong. And I suppose you've never heard either of the rule that new customers must always pay on or before delivery?”

”Yes, I have. But I couldn't ask for the money at half-past six in the morning, could I? And I couldn't tell him how much it would be before I'd typed it.”

”Yes, you could, my dear, and you ought to have done. You could have estimated it and left a margin for errors. That was the proper course.

And if you know anything about Lord Mackworth you must know that his debts are notorious. I believe he's one of the fastest young men about town, and it's more than possible that that account's a bad debt.”

”But can't we send in the account again?” Lilian weakly suggested; she was overthrown by the charge of fast-living against Lord Mackworth, yet she had always in her heart a.s.sumed that he was a fast liver.

”I've just telephoned to 6a St. James's Street, and I needn't say that Lord Mackworth is no longer there, and they don't know where he is. You see what comes of disobeying rules.”

Lilian lifted her head: ”Well, Miss Grig, the bill isn't so very big, and if you'll please deduct it from my wages on Sat.u.r.day I hope that will be the end of that.”

It was plain that the bewildered creature had but an excessively imperfect notion of how to be an employee. She had taken to the vocation too late in life.

Miss Grig put her hand to the support of her forehead, and paused.

”I can tolerate many things,” said she, with great benignity, ”but not insolence.”

”I didn't mean to be insolent.”

”You did. And I think you had better accept a week's notice from Sat.u.r.day. No. On second thoughts, I'll pay your wages up to Sat.u.r.day week now and you can go at once.” She smiled kindly. ”That will give you time to turn round.”