The ticket collector came along and I bought Megan a return ticket.
She sat in her corner looking at me in a kind of awed respect.
"I say," she said when the man had gone. "You are sudden, aren't you?"
"Very," I said.
"It runs in our family."
How explain to Megan the impulse that had come over me?
- She had looked like a wistful dog being left behind.
She now had on her face the incredulous pleasure of the dog who has been taken on the walk after all.
"I suppose you don't know London very well?" I said to Megan.
"Yes, I do," said Megan.
"I always went through it to school.
And I've been to the dentist there and to a pantomime."
"This," I said darkly, "will be a different London."
We arrived with half an hour to spare before my appointment in Harley Street.
I took a taxi and we drove straight to Mirotin, Joanna's dressmaker.
Mirotin is, in the flesh, an unconventional and breezy woman of forty-five, Mary Grey. She is a clever woman and very good company.
I have always liked her.
I said to Megan, "You're my cousin."
"Why?"
"Don't argue," I said.
Mary Grey was being firm with a stout woman who was enamored of a skin-tight powder-blue evening dress.
I detached her and took her aside.
"Listen," I said.
"I've brought a little cousin of mine along.
Joanna was coming up but was prevented. But she said I could leave it all to you.
You see what the girl looks like now?"
"I most certainly do!" said Mary Grey with feeling.
"Well, I want her turned out right in every particular from head to foot.
Carte blanche.
Stockings, shoes, undies, everything!
By the way, the man who does Joanna's hair is close around here, isn't he?"
"Antoine?
Around the corner.
I'll see to that too."
"You're a woman in a thousand."
"Oh, I shall enjoy it - apart from the money - and that's not to be sneezed at in these days - half my damned brutes of women never pay their bills.
But as I say, I shall enjoy it."
She shot a quick professional glance at Megan standing a little way off.
"She's got a lovely figure."
"You must have X-ray eyes," I said.
"She looks completely shapeless to me."
Mary Grey laughed.
"It's these schools," she said.
"They seem to take a pride in turning out girls who preen themselves on looking like nothing on earth.
They call it being sweet and unsophisticated.
Sometimes it takes a whole season before a girl can pull herself together and look human.
Don't worry, leave it all to me."
"Right," I said.
"I'll come back and fetch her about six."
Marcus Kent was pleased with me.