CHAPTER XXIt was twenty-seven minutes past seven when Meade Underwood opened the door to a scared Ivy.
“Ivy, you are late! Lucky for you Mrs. Underwood isn’t back.”
Ivy’s eyes stared out of her peaked face.
“But, Miss Meade, she come in in front of me—I see her go up in the lift. Oh lor—I must hurry! Did you put on the gas for the steamer, miss?”
Ivy hurried. As it turned out, she had plenty of time. It was twenty minutes to eight before Mrs. Underwood entered the flat. She went straight to her room and shut the door. Ivy came sidling in to Meade.
“That’s a queer start, Miss Meade. I see her in front of me all the way from the corner. If it had been a bit darker, I’d have tried to get past, but I didn’t like to chance it. I thought maybe she’d go to her room and I’d have time to slip
