Anne smiled.
"I'm ready."
"What about Major Despard?" asked Rhoda.
"Oh, he won't be overlooked.
I can promise you that," said Battle.
He set down his coffee cup and looked toward Anne.
She sat up a little straighter in her chair.
"I'm quite ready, Superintendent.
What do you want to know?"
"Well, roughly, all about yourself, Miss Meredith."
"I'm quite a respectable person," said Anne, smiling.
"She's led a blameless life, too," said Rhoda. "I can answer for that."
"Well, that's very nice," said Superintendent Battle cheerfully. "You've known Miss Meredith a long time, then?"
"We were at school together," said Rhoda. "What ages ago it seems, doesn't it, Anne?"
"So long ago you can hardly remember it, I suppose," said Battle with a chuckle. Now then, Miss Meredith, I'm afraid I'm going to be rather like those forms you fill up for passports."
"I was born -" began Anne.
"Of poor but honest parents," Rhoda put in.
Superintendent Battle held up a slightly reproving hand.
"Now, now, young lady," he said.
"Rhoda darling," said Anne gravely. "It's serious, this."
"Sorry," said Rhoda.
"Now, Miss Meredith, you were born - where?"
"At Quetta, in India."
"Ah, yes, your people were Army folk?"
"Yes, my father was Major John Meredith.
My mother died when I was eleven.
Father retired when I was fifteen and went to live in Cheltenham.
He died when I was eighteen and left practically no money."
Battle nodded his head sympathetically.
"Bit of a shock to you, I expect."
"It was rather.
I always knew that we weren't well off, but to find there was practically nothing - well, that's different."
"What did you do, Miss Meredith?"
"I had to take a job.
I hadn't been particularly well educated and I wasn't clever.
I didn't know typing or shorthand or anything.
A friend in Cheltenham found me a job with friends of hers - two small boys home in the holidays and general help in the house."
"Name, please?"
"That was Mrs. Eldon, The Larches, Ventnor.
I stayed there for two years and then the Eldons went abroad.
Then I went to a Mrs. Deering."
"My aunt," put in Rhoda.
"Yes, Rhoda got me the job.
I was very happy.
Rhoda used to come and stay sometimes and we had great fun."
"What were you there, companion?"
"Yes, it amounted to that."
"More like under-gardener," said Rhoda. She explained. "My Aunt Emily is just mad on gardening.
Anne spent most of her time weeding or putting in bulbs."
"And you left Mrs. Deering?"