It was Philpotts, "Mrs. Blair's" maid, and she was trying to attract
my attention. Lord Blackadder had not seen her, and now his eye, for
the first time, fell upon me. He turned on me furiously.
"You! You! Still at my heels? This is perfectly monstrous. It amounts
to persecution. You still dare to intrude yourself. Can I have no
privacy? Take yourself off, or I will not answer for the
consequences."
I confess I only laughed and still held my ground, although my lord's
outcry had attracted much attention. Several people ran up, and they
might have sided against me, when I heard a voice whisper into my ear:
"Come, sir, come. Slip away. My lady is dying to see you. She is
terribly upset."
CHAPTER XVI.
I was received with great warmth and cordiality by my friend, and it
was made clear to me that my opportune appearance brought her great
comfort and support.
"I never hoped for such good fortune as this," she began heartily. "I
had no idea you were within miles, and was repining bitterly that I
had let you get so far out of the way. Now you appear in the very nick
of time, just when I was almost in despair.
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