"Yes," said Mr Ferguson, cheerfully. "Lady Longshore also is very unconventional, isn't she?"
"I'm not speaking about that," said Miss Bostock, doggedly. "The rudeness of that lady to me is a small personal matter easily forgotten. It's the ghastly humiliation of the whole thing that makes me sick and savage."
There was a moment's silence. "Ferguson," said Garth, "there was that letter."
"Yes," said Ferguson, "I'll see to it," and passed out of the room.
"Now, then," said Garth. "What's the trouble, Miss Bostock?"
"The trouble is that the whole of us were merely a show got up for your amusement. You gave us a lunch that we might make fools of ourselves. Fish out of water are very absurd, aren't they? But it's cruel to take them out of water and to watch them dying, all the same. That luncheon-party was the most brutal thing done in London to-day, and you were the brute who did it. What harm was I doing? Why did you drag me into it?"
"Five or six weeks ago," said Garth, "I met you for the first time. It was in the post-office. You asked me if I'd got any eyes in my head."
"I remember now," said Miss Bostock. "I ought not to have said it. I think the tick of the telegraph gets on my nerves. You were not the first, too, and the notices were up clear enough. Still, why couldn't you have reported me? That would have been the right way to punish me."
"No," said Garth, "I did not want to punish you. I distinctly liked the spirit and the temper with which you spoke to me. You will understand, perhaps, that I get rather too much of the other kind of thing. I had no wish whatever to humiliate you. I did wish to amuse myself. You may be glad to hear that I have not done it. Is there anything I can do?"
"Nothing now," said the girl, contemptuously.
"I think there is," said Garth, and rang the bell. He sent the servant to fetch Mr Ferguson.
"I say, Ferguson," said Garth, "can you tell me what the price of that luncheon was?"
"Eight shillings a head, exclusive of the wine, of course."
"Let me see, Miss Bostock," said Garth, "I think you drank water."
"Yes, yes, I see it now," said Miss Bostock, eagerly. She fumbled clumsily at her pocket, and produced an emaciated purse. She took out half a sovereign. "There is your money. Can you give me change?"