She was away from home. That was so unfortunate. If she had come when Hugo was ill in bed it might have been all right. But now that he’s almost well again.... MRS. CLOUSTON When did you hear she was coming? MRS. DE MULLIN Only this morning. Here is what she says.. [_Produces telegram from pocket_. MRS. CLOUSTON _(reads)_ “Telegram delayed. Arrive mid-day. Seagrave.” Seagrave? MRS. DE MULLIN Yes. She calls herself Mrs. Seagrave now. MRS. CLOUSTON _(nods)_ On account of the child, I suppose. MRS. DE MULLIN I suppose so. MRS. CLOUSTON I never could understand how Janet came to go so wrong. _(Mrs. De Mullin sighs.)_ None of the _De Mullins_ have ever done such a thing before. MRS. DE MULLIN _(plaintively)_ I’m sure she doesn’t get it from _my_ family. MRS. CLOUSTON Well, she must have got it from _somewhere_. She’s not in the least like a De Mullin. MRS. DE MULLIN _(lamentably_) I believe it was all through bicycling. MRS. CLOUSTON Bicycling? MRS. DE MULLIN Yes. When girls usen’t to scour about the country as they do now these things didn’t happen. MRS. CLOUSTON _(severely)_ I never approved of Janet’s bicycling you remember, Jane. MRS. DE MULLIN Nor did I, Harriet. But it was no use. Janet only laughed. Janet never would do what she was told about things even when she was quite a child. She was so very obstinate. She was always getting some idea or other into her head. And when she did nothing would prevent her from carrying it out. At one time she wanted to _teach_. MRS. CLOUSTON I remember. MRS. DE MULLIN She said girls ought to go out and earn their own living like boys. MRS. CLOUSTON What nonsense! MRS. DE MULLIN So Hugo said. But Janet wouldn’t listen. Finally we had to let her go over and teach the Aldenham girls French three times a week, just to keep her amused. MRS. CLOUSTON _(thoughtfully)_ It was strange you never could find out who the father was. MRS. DE MULLIN _(sighs)_ Yes. She wouldn’t tell us. MRS. CLOUSTON You should have made her tell you. Hugo should have insisted on it. MRS. DE MULLIN Hugo did insist. He was terribly angry with her. He sent her to her room and said she was not to come down till she told us. But it was no use. Janet just stayed in her room till we had all gone to bed and then took the train to London. MRS. CLOUSTON You should have locked her door. MRS. DE MULLIN We did. She got out of the window. MRS. CLOUSTON Got out of the window! The girl might have been killed. MRS. DE MULLIN Yes. But Janet was always fond of climbing. And she was never afraid of anything. MRS. CLOUSTON But there’s no late train to London. MRS. DE MULLIN She caught the mail at Weymouth, I suppose. MRS. CLOUSTON Do you mean to say she _walked_ all the way to Weymouth in the middle of the night? Why, it’s twelve miles. MRS. DE MULLIN She had her bicycle as I said. MRS. CLOUSTON