ND

If I had not been tingling with anger against Lisa, who had seemed to
enjoy saying needlessly cruel things to me, perhaps I would have been
utterly discouraged when she pricked the bubble of my hope. She had made
me realise that the plan I had was useless, perhaps worse than useless;
but in my desperate mood I caught at another. I would try to see Ivor,
and find out some other way of helping him. At all events he should know
that I was for him, not against him, in this time of trouble.

Perhaps this new idea was a mad one, I told myself. Perhaps I should not
be allowed to see him, even in the presence of others. But while there
was a "perhaps" I wouldn't give up. Without waiting for a cooler or more
cowardly mood to set in, I almost ran out of my room, and downstairs,
for I hadn't taken off my hat and coat since coming in.

I had no knowledge of French law, or police etiquette, or anything of
that sort. But I knew the French as a gallant nation; and I thought that
if a girl should go to the right place begging for a short conversation
with an accused man, as his friend, an interview--probably with a
witness--might possibly be granted. The authorities might think that we
were engaged, for all I cared. I did not care about anything now, except
seeing Ivor, and helping him if I could.

I hardly knew what I meant to do at the beginning, by way of getting the
chance I wanted, until I had asked to have a motor-cab called for me.
Then, I suddenly thought of the British Ambassador, a great friend of
Uncle Eric's and Aunt Lilian's. Uncle Eric had already been to him, but
I fancied not with a view of trying to see Ivor. That idea had
apparently not been in his mind at all. Anyway, the Ambassador would
already understand that the family took a deep interest in the fate of
Ivor Dundas, and would not be wholly astonished at receiving a call from
me. Besides, hearing of some rather venturesome escapades of mine when I
first arrived in London, he had once, while visiting Uncle Eric, laughed
a good deal and said that in future he would be "surprised at nothing an
American girl might do."

I told the driver to go to the British Embassy as fast as he could.
There, I sent in my name, and the Ambassador received me at once. I
didn't explain much, but came to the point immediately, and said that I
wanted--oh, but wanted and needed very much indeed--to see Ivor Dundas.
Could he, would he help me to do that?

"Ought I to help you?"