"I am extremely sorry it happened," Hester continued. "I'm afraid you know only the simplest part of it yet." Better to get it over now rather than leave it for him to discover in the most acutely embarrassing way. "There was a dismal musical trio playing, and Rose took the violin from the fiddler and played it herself, extremely well. Unfortunately, she soon changed to a funny but rather vulgar song from the music halls. The whole scene is something you would probably prefer not to know about, but it was ... memorable."

"Oh, God!" He went ash white. "How?"

She hesitated.

"How?" he repeated.

"She was very forthright over what people say about each other, and what they really mean. With names. I'm sorry." She meant it deeply.

He stared at her, the anger draining out of him. "I should have told you. She . . . she used to . . ." He spread his hands helplessly. "She hasn't done it for years! Why now?" His eyes pleaded with her for a reason for the devastation that had descended on him with no warning.

Then suddenly she knew the answer. It was as obvious as a slap across the face. "Alan Argyll!" she said aloud. "He must have put something in her drink! He knew we were there to try to persuade Jenny to testify! It was after he joined us that Rose started to behave differently. Could he have known about her ... weakness?" She would not insult either of them by mincing words. It was far too late now.

"If he had cared to find out," Applegate admitted. He sat down slowly in the large leather seat just behind him, leaving her to do as she wished. He looked crumpled, like a rag doll someone had torn the stuffing from. "Was it awful?" he asked, without raising his eyes.

To lie would only leave him more vulnerable. "Yes," she said simply. "It was also very funny and perfectly true, and it is the truth of it I fear people will neither forget nor forgive."

He sat silently.

The fire was beginning to warm her through. The hem of her gown was steaming gently. She knelt down in front of him. "I'm sorry. We believed it was a good cause, and that we could win."

"It is a good cause," he said quietly. He seemed about to add something more, then changed his mind.

"Will she be all right?" Hester asked. "Tomorrow? The next day?" Then she thought with a chill how clumsy that was. It would never be all right for Applegate himself. His position would become untenable. He would never be able to take Rose to any social event after this. Possibly he would find it unbearable to go himself.