I could not think what she wanted.
But she came up to me--of course we had made acquaintance the night before--"May I speak to you, Major Mannering?
I wish to say something private.

Shall we walk down to the kitchen garden ?" So we walked down to the kitchen garden, and then she told me what had happened after dinner, when my father sent for her.

She told it very stiffly, rather curtly in fact, as though she were annoyed to have to bother about such unprofessional things, and hated to waste her time.

"But I don't wish, I don't intend," she said, "to have the smallest responsibility in the matter.

So after thinking it over, I decided to inform you--and Mr.Desmond too, if you will kindly tell him--as to what I had done.