The Secret Adversary

As though that first scrutiny had been satisfactory, Mrs. Vandemeyer
motioned to a chair.

"You can sit down. How did you hear I wanted a house-parlourmaid?"


"Through a friend who knows the lift boy here. He thought the place
might suit me."

Again that basilisk glance seemed to pierce her through.

"You speak like an educated girl?"

Glibly enough, Tuppence ran through her imaginary career on the lines
suggested by Mr. Carter. It seemed to her, as she did so, that the
tension of Mrs. Vandemeyer's attitude relaxed.