Miss Wilford was the secretary of Juan Arrabal, the Spanish consul in Manchester. Annie Walker visited him, concerned about the lack of news about Emily Nugent who had gone there to find out why Ernest Bishop had been imprisoned on a charge of offending public morality and Annie had failed to hear from her. Miss Wilford showed Annie into Senor Arrabal's office and, on his instructions, poured the charmed visitor a glass of sherry.