A woman I’d heard announced as Lady Martins was the first of Crillick’s friends to walk out; maybe she felt something of the Leopard Lady’s pain too, a plea beyond mere sensibility. She squeezed past the others in her row and made for the door, and the other women followed after her. The woman in grey was the only female guest who remained, now standing at the front of the room by the stage. Crillick sensed the change in the mood. He had not expected it; that was clear from the way he bellowed at the Leopard Lady to stop.

‘That’s enough for tonight, I think. Consider this a preview. Two weeks from tonight, this siren will be appearing in my show and, for those among you who might want to examine her at your leisure, I will be holding private viewings for up to twelve at a time. See me before you leave and we can discuss the terms.’

He had to raise his voice to be heard as the rest of his guests shuffled out. Angrily, he turned to the Leopard Lady, who cowered a little before the stick that he gripped in his hand. From the table behind him he took a rope, tied it around her wrists in a sailor’s knot and handed the end to Grace.

‘Hold tight to this, you hear me,’ he said.

‘Marcus Crillick? I’m Elvira Masterson.’

The bold voice belonged to the woman who had sat along from me. I recognised that name. As Miss Masterson held her hand out for Crillick to shake, it came to me where I had heard it. She was the philanthropist friend that Lucien had wanted to introduce me to. It was her that had been among the campaigners giving out the Sierra Leone pamphlets a week or so earlier. She stepped up on to the makeshift stage so she was on a level with Crillick. He took her hand limply.

‘I don’t recall …’ Crillick began.

‘My invitation must have gone astray,’ Miss Masterson said.

Crillick rallied a little.

‘I wouldn’t expect to see a Friend out on a Sunday evening.’

‘The Lord’s work can be done at any time,’ Miss Masterson said. ‘I want you to explain what you mean by this … this display. I won’t call her “Leopard Lady”. What is her name? Speak up, man.’