Millicent's eyes passed beyond her sister to the little girl watering flowers in the garden.
'Have you told Annie to give Joan her tea in the kitchen, mother?' she said.
'Yes, she'll have it when the servants have theirs.'
Kathleen looked at her sister coolly.
'The Bishop spent two or three days at Singapore on his way home,' she went on.
'He's very fond of travelling.
He's been to Borneo, and he knows a good many of the people that you know.'
'He'll be interested to see you, dear,' said Mrs Skinner.
'Did he know poor Harold?'
'Yes, he met him at Kuala Solor. He remembers him very well.
He says he was shocked to hear of his death.'
Millicent sat down and began to put on her black gloves.
It seemed strange to Mrs Skinner that she received these remarks with complete silence.
'Oh, Millicent,' she said,
'Harold's photo has disappeared.
Have you taken it?'
'Yes, I put it away.'
'I should have thought you'd like to have it out.'
Once more Millicent said nothing.
It really was an exasperating habit.
Kathleen turned slightly in order to face her sister.
'Millicent, why did you tell us that Harold died of fever?'
The widow made no gesture, she looked at Kathleen with steady eyes, but her sallow skin darkened with a flush.
She did not reply.
'What do you mean, Kathleen?' asked Mr Skinner, with surprise.
'The Bishop says that Harold committed suicide.'
Mrs Skinner gave a startled cry, but her husband put out a deprecating hand.
'Is it true, Millicent?'
'It is.'
'But why didn't you tell us?'
Millicent paused for an instant.
She fingered idly a piece of Brunei brass which stood on the table by her side.
That too had been a present from Harold.
'I thought it better for Joan that her father should be thought to have died of fever.
I didn't want her to know anything about it.'
'You've put us in an awfully awkward position,' said Kathleen, frowning a little.
'Gladys Hey wood said she thought it rather nasty of me not to have told her the truth. I had the greatest difficulty in getting her to believe that I knew absolutely nothing about it.
She said her father was rather put out.
He says, after all the years we've known one another, and considering that he married you, and the terms we've been on, and all that, he does think we might have had confidence in him.
And at all events, if we didn't want to tell him the truth we needn't have told him a lie.'
'I must say I sympathize with him there,' said Mr Skinner, acidly.
'Of course I told Gladys that we weren't to blame.
We only told them what you told us.'
'I hope it didn't put you off your game,' said Millicent.
'Really, my dear, I think that is a most improper observation,' exclaimed her father.
He rose from his chair, walked over to the empty fireplace, and from force of habit stood in front of it with parted coat-tails.
'It was my business,' said Millicent, 'and if I chose to keep it to myself I didn't see why I shouldn't.'
'It doesn't look as if you had any affection for your mother if you didn't even tell her,' said Mrs Skinner.
Millicent shrugged her shoulders.
'You might have known it was bound to come out,' said Kathleen.