"That's good! Go to the station to-day, and look up your route. There will be several changes. Have you your pencil? Write down `Maplestone--Antony Maplestone.' Have you got it? `The Low House.' L-o-w. `Nunkton.' N-u-n-k-t-o-n. `Great Morley.' `Maplestone, The Low House, Nunkton, Great Morley.' Have you got that? Go on to-morrow by the first train. I will wire to Mr Maplestone to expect you. He will explain the case. Are you all right for money? Take your best clothes, as for a country visit. Report to me in the course of a week. Do your best. Good chance for you. (Yes, I've nearly finished. I've not had my three minutes.) You understand, Miss White? You quite understand?" "I quite understand," said Juliet, and sat down heavily on the chair beside the receiver. How had it happened? How much was she to blame? From the moment of that first interruption it seemed as if she had had no chance to explain. Without any preconceived intention of taking the injured girl's place, she had done so, as it were, without volition of her own. The spirit of adventure, so long nourished, had grasped at the opportunity, before the slower brain had had time to decide on its action. Juliet drew a deep breath, and stared with dilated eyes at the opposite wall. "How _could_ I?" she asked herself, breathlessly. "How _dared_ I? How _can_ I?" And then, with a bursting laugh, "_But I will_!" she cried, and leaped nimbly to her feet. "Urgent! Nice people! Good chance! A guest in the house!" Her lips moved in repetition of the different phrases as she walked rapidly back in the direction of the hospital. She knitted her brows in the effort to understand, to reconcile contradictions. What was this Alice White, and on what mission had she crossed the ocean? And who was Eighty-one, Grosvenor, who issued orders as to a subordinate, and gave instructions as to reports? Only one thing seemed certain, and that was that it would be many a long day, if ever, before poor Alice White was fit to take up any work, however interesting. Remembering that last choking cry, it seemed probable that even now--Juliet resolutely stifled further questionings until once more she stood within the portals of the hospital, and made her inquiries of the porter. He retired, and returned, after a few minutes' absence, with a face appropriately lengthened. "Gone, miss! Directly you left. Went off in a moment." Juliet nodded, and turned back to the street. What exactly had she intended to do had Alice White still been alive? Honestly, she did not know! It seemed as though she would never be able to answer that question. She waved it impatiently aside. Why trouble about might-have-beens? The girl was dead! The only question of importance which now remained was, _what was she herself going to do_?