shook his head.
âNoâher place is not there among the failures. It is worse than that. She has succeeded, you see! She has accomplished her dream.â
Sarah shuddered.
She cried passionately: âSuch things ought not to be!â
Chapter 7
Sarah wondered very much whether Carol Boynton would keep her appointment that night.
On the whole she rather doubted it. She was afraid that Carol would have a sharp reaction after her semi-confidences of the morning.
Nevertheless she made her preparations, slipping on a blue satin dressing-gown and getting out her little spirit lamp and boiling up water.
She was just on the point of giving Carol up (it was after one oâclock) and going to bed, when there was a tap on her door. She opened it and drew quickly back to let Carol come in.
The latter said breathlessly: âI was afraid you might have gone to bedâ¦â
Sarahâs manner was carefully matter-of-fact.
âOh, no, I was waiting for you. Have some tea, will you? Itâs real Lapsang Souchong.â
She brought over a cup. Carol had been nervous and uncertain of herself. Now she accepted the cup and a biscuit and her manner became calmer.
âThis is rather fun,â said Sarah, smiling.
Carol looked a little startled.
âYes,â she said doubtfully. âYes, I suppose it is.â
âRather like the midnight feasts we used to have at school,â went on Sarah. âI suppose you didnât go to school?â
Carol shook her head.
âNo, we never left home. We had a governessâdifferent governesses. They never stayed long.â
âDid you never go away at all?â
âNo. Weâve lived always in the same house. This coming abroad is the first time Iâve ever been away.â
Sarah said casually: âIt must have been a great adventure.â
âOh, it was. Itâitâs all been like a dream.â
âWhat made yourâyour stepmother decide to come abroad?â
At the mention of Mrs Boyntonâs name, Carol had flinched. Sarah said quickly:
âYou know, Iâm by way of being a doctor. Iâve just taken my M.B. Your motherâor stepmother ratherâis very interesting to meâas a case, you know. I should say she was quite definitely a pathological case.â
Carol stared. It was clearly a very unexpected pointof view to her. Sarah had spoken as she had with deliberate intent. She realized that to her family Mrs Boynton loomed as a kind of powerful obscene idol. It was Sarahâs object to rob her of her more terrifying aspect.
âYes,â she said. âThereâs a kind of disease ofâof grandeurâthat gets hold of people. They get very autocratic and insist on everything being done exactly as they say and are altogether very difficult to deal with.â
Carol put down her cup.
âOh,â she cried, âIâm so glad to be talking to you. Really, you know, I believe Ray and I have been getting quiteâwell, quite queer. Weâd get terribly worked up about things.â
âTalking with an outsider is always a good thing,â said Sarah. âInside a family one is apt to get too intense.â Then she asked casually: âIf you are unhappy, havenât you ever thought of leaving home?â
Carol looked startled. âOh, no! How could we? IâI mean Mother would never allow it.â
âBut she couldnât stop you,â said Sarah gently. âYouâre over age.â
âIâm twenty-three.â
âExactly.â
âBut still, I donât see howâI mean, I wouldnât know where to go and what to do.â
Her tone seemed bewildered.
âYou see,â she said, âwe havenât got any money.â
âHavenât you any friends you could go to?â
âFriends?â Carol shook her head. âOh, no, we donât know anyone!â
âDid none of you ever think of leaving