He and Major Kent were standing together at the window while they talked. Neither of them noticed that Mary Ellen had come into the room. She stood for some time near the door, hoping that either the Major or Father McCormack would look round. Neither of them did, so she sidled slowly into the room and stood beside the stuffed fox. She was a very well mannered girl, and most unwilling to interrupt an earnest, possibly an important conversation. When Father McCormack made his last remark she felt that her chance had come. It was evident from the tone in which he spoke, that he and the Major had reached a more or less satisfactory conclusion of their business, She coughed, and then tapped lightly with her knuckles on the glass case of the stuffed fox. Both Father McCormack and the Major looked round. “There’s a lady below,” said Mary Ellen. “A lady!” said Major Kent. “Surely to goodness we’re not going to have women on this committee. Things are bad enough without that.” “Who is she?” said Father Mctormack. “It’s Mrs. Gregg,” said Mary Ellen, “and it’s the doctor she’s asking for.” “The doctor’s not here,” said Father McCormack. “Can’t you see that for yourself?” “If it’s Mrs. Gregg,” said the Major, “you’d better show her up. You can’t leave her standing by herself in the hall till the doctor chooses to come. I wish to goodness he would come. I can’t think why he isn’t here. This is his show entirely.” Mrs. Gregg came into the room while the Major was speaking. She looked agitated and, in spite of the fact that she had been waiting downstairs for nearly ten minutes, was almost breathless. “Oh, Major Kent,” she said, “where’s Dr. O’Grady? Such a dreadful thing has happened. I don’t know what to do. Just fancy—Mrs. Ford has written to me——” “There’s no use appealing to me,” said the Major. “I can’t do anything with Mrs. Ford. She and I are hardly on speaking terms. It’s not my fault—at least I don’t think it is—but you must see Mrs. Gregg, that I can’t interfere about any letter she may have written to you.” Mrs. Gregg shook hands with Father McCormack, but her head was turned away from him as she did so. She had little hope that he could interfere effectually to settle the difficulty created by Mrs. Ford. “Dr. O’Grady said that I——” The Major interrupted her. “You’d far better wait till the doctor comes,” he said. “He’ll be here in a minute.” “But I can’t wait. Mrs. Ford is down at the dress-maker’s now. It’ll be too late if I wait. What am I to do? It will spoil the whole thing if Mrs. Ford insists——” Dr. O’Grady came in. He was whistling cheerfully, not “Rule, Britannia,” but a harmless Irish jig. “Hullo!” he said. “You here, Major. Good. And Father McCormack. There’s nothing like punctuality. And Mrs. Gregg. How do you do, Mrs. Gregg? Everything going on all right about Mary Ellen’s costume?” “Oh, no, it isn’t. But I’m so glad you’ve come. Mrs. Ford——”