‘Oh no, sir! I could never think that.’ But she had thought it, for a moment. As a form of amends she went on, ‘You have always been so kind to me. I think you are the kindest man on earth.’

‘Hardly that,’ he said, ‘but I do feel we have a responsibility to the people we employ, and to those less fortunate than ourselves. That is why I have joined with some other like-minded gentlemen to try to help women who have been lured into a life of prostitution. In that endeavour, we have made a friend in the police force, an inspector who also concerns himself with such matters. Last night, in desperation, I called on him and he agreed to help. He has eyes and ears all over the city and this morning he was able to tell me that Mrs Feather was putting the word around that she had a very special offer for a man who was prepared to pay her price, a girl she had picked up from the street the night before. I took a chance that it might be you and it was. Thank God I wasn’t too late!’

‘I’ll never be able to thank you enough, sir,’ she said.

‘There is no need,’ he replied. ‘You should never have been there in the first place. But, May, you have seen the worst side of mankind today. You must not think that we are all so depraved.’

‘I know that, sir.’

After a while she plucked up courage to ask the question uppermost in her mind. ‘Am I to have my old job back, sir?’

He smiled at her. ‘No, you are not. I have something else in mind.’ He raised a hand to prevent her further questioning. ‘Wait till we get home. I’ll tell you everything then.’

When they arrived at the house, May would have gone down the steps to the servants’ entrance but he took her arm and led her in through the front door. Lydia Freeman was waiting for them in the morning room. She was pale and May thought she had been crying. She got to her feet as they entered, twisting a tiny handkerchief in her fingers.

‘You found her.’

‘Yes, and unharmed, thank God,’ her husband responded.

‘You should be glad I did. If she had been dead in a ditch or … or worse, it would have been on your conscience. Now, please be so good as to ring for Mrs Wilkins.’

Mrs Freeman crossed the room and pulled the bell pull, and an awkward silence ensued. May wondered if she should try to apologise for her part in the events that had led up to her dismissal.

‘Ma’am,’ she began, ‘I’m really sorry if I displeased you about that sampler …’