And yet she knew that she must go to him.
She knew it to be impossible that she should not go.
"Now?" demanded Constance.
Sophia nodded.
"What about the trains? ...
Oh, you poor dear!"
The mere idea of the journey to Manchester put Constance out of her wits, seeming a business of unparalleled complexity and difficulty.
"Would you like me to come with you?"
"Oh no!
I must go by myself."
Constance was relieved by this.
They could not have left the servant in the house alone, and the idea of shutting up the house without notice or preparation presented itself to Constance as too fantastic.
By a common instinct they both descended to the parlour.
"Now, what about a time-table?
What about a time-table?" Constance mumbled on the stairs.
She wiped her eyes resolutely.
"I wonder whatever in this world has brought him at last to that Mr. Boldero's in Deansgate?" she asked the walls.
As they came into the parlour, a great motor-car drove up before the door, and when the pulsations of its engine had died away, Dick Povey hobbled from the driver's seat to the pavement.
In an instant he was hammering at the door in his lively style.
There was no avoiding him.
The door had to be opened.
Sophia opened it.
Dick Povey was over forty, but he looked considerably younger.
Despite his lameness, and the fact that his lameness tended to induce corpulence, he had a dashing air, and his face, with its short, light moustache, was boyish.
He seemed to be always upon some joyous adventure.
"Well, aunties," he greeted the sisters, having perceived Constance behind Sophia; he often so addressed them.
"Has Dr. Stirling warned you that I was coming?
Why haven't you got your things on?"
Sophia observed a young woman in the car.
"Yes," said he, following her gaze, "you may as well look.
Come down, miss.
Come down, Lily.
You've got to go through with it."
The young woman, delicately confused and blushing, obeyed.
"This is Miss Lily Holl," he went on.
"I don't know whether you would remember her.
I don't think you do.
It's not often she comes to the Square.
But, of course, she knows you by sight.
Granddaughter of your old neighbour, Alderman Holl!
We are engaged to be married, if you please."
Constance and Sophia could not decently pour out their griefs on the top of such news.
The betrothed pair had to come in and be congratulated upon their entry into the large realms of mutual love.
But the sisters, even in their painful quandary, could not help noticing what a nice, quiet, ladylike girl Lily Holl was.
Her one fault appeared to be that she was too quiet.
Dick Povey was not the man to pass time in formalities, and he was soon urging departure.
"I'm sorry we can't come," said Sophia.
"I've got to go to Manchester now.
We are in great trouble."
"Yes, in great trouble," Constance weakly echoed.