"Presently," said Lady Dashwood, in answer to Louise's question.
Lady Dashwood had made up her mind. She must have opened all three letters but only read two of them. There was no other explanation possible. What was to be done with Gwen's letter? What was to be done with this--vile scribble?
Lady Dashwood's fingers were aching to tear the letter up, but she refrained. It would need some thinking over. The style of this letter was probably familiar to Gwendolen--her mind had already been corrupted. And to think that Jim might have had Belinda and Co., and all that Belinda and Co. implied, hanging round his neck and dragging him down--till he dropped into his grave from the sheer dead weight of it!
"Yes, immediately," said Lady Dashwood. She would not go downstairs again. It was of vital importance that Jim and May should be alone together, yes, alone together.
Lady Dashwood put the letter away in a drawer and locked it. She must have time to think.
A few minutes later Louise was brushing out her mistress's hair--a mass of grey hair, still luxuriant, that had once been black.
"I find that Oxford does not agree with Madame's hair," said Louise, as she plied vigorously with the brush.
"I find that Oxford does not agree with Madame's hair at all, at all," repeated Louise, firmly.
"Is it going greyer?" said Lady Dashwood indifferently, for her mind was working hard on another subject.
"It grows not greyer, but it becomes dead, like the hair of a corpse--in this atmosphere of Oxford," said Louise, even more firmly.
"Try not to exaggerate, Louise," said Lady Dashwood, quite unmoved.
"Madame cannot deny that the humidity of Oxford is bad both for skin and hair," said Louise, with some resentment in her tone.
"Damp is not bad for the skin, Louise," said her mistress, "but it may be for the hair; I don't know and I don't care."
"It's bad for the skin," said Louise. "I have seen Madame looking grave, the skin folded, in Oxford. It is the climate. It is impossible to smile--in Oxford. One lies as if under a tomb."
"Every place has its bad points," said Lady Dashwood. "It is important to make the best of them."
"But I do not like to see Madame depressed by the climate here," continued Louise, obstinately, "and Madame has been depressed here lately."