For a second, as she approached him, the quick tremor of herglance showed her all intent on the same thought as himself.

　　He transmitted his instructions with mechanical precision,and she answered in the same tone, repeating his words withthe intensity of attention of a child not quite sure ofunderstanding. Then she disappeared up the stairs.

　　Darrow lingered on in the hall, not knowing if she meant toreturn, yet inwardly sure she would. At length he saw hercoming down in her hat and jacket. The rain still streakedthe window panes, and, in order to say something, he said:

　　"You're not going to the lodge yourself?""I've sent one of the men ahead with the things; but Ithought Mrs. Leath might need me.""She didn't ask for you," he returned, wondering how hecould detain her; but she answered decidedly: "I'd bettergo."He held open the door, picked up his umbrella and followedher out. As they went down the steps she glanced back athim. "You've forgotten your mackintosh.""I sha'n't need it."She had no umbrella, and he opened his and held it out toher. She rejected it with a murmur of thanks and walked onthrough the thin drizzle, and he kept the umbrella over hisown head, without offering to shelter her.

　　Rapidly and in silence they crossed the court and began towalk down the avenue. They had traversed a third of itslength before Darrow said abruptly: "Wouldn't it have beenfairer, when we talked together yesterday, to tell me whatI've just heard from Mrs. Leath?""Fairer----?" She stopped short with a startled look.

　　"If I'd known that your future was already settled I shouldhave spared you my gratuitous suggestions."She walked on, more slowly, for a yard or two. "I couldn'tspeak yesterday. I meant to have told you today.""Oh, I'm not reproaching you for your lack of confidence.

　　Only, if you HAD told me, I should have been more sureof your really meaning what you said to me yesterday."She did not ask him to what he referred, and he saw that herparting words to him lived as vividly in her memory as inhis.

　　"Is it so important that you should be sure?" she finallyquestioned.

　　"Not to you, naturally," he returned with involuntaryasperity. It was incredible, yet it was a fact, that forthe moment his immediate purpose in seeking to speak to herwas lost under a rush of resentment at counting for solittle in her fate. Of what stuff, then, was his feelingfor her made? A few hours earlier she had touched histhoughts as little as his senses; but now he felt oldsleeping instincts stir in him...

　　A rush of rain dashed against his face, and, catchingSophy's hat, strained it back from her loosened hair. Sheput her hands to her head with a familiar gesture...He camecloser and held his umbrella over her...

　　At the lodge he waited while she went in. The raincontinued to stream down on him and he shivered in thedampness and stamped his feet on the flags. It seemed tohim that a long time elapsed before the door opened and shereappeared. He glanced into the house for a glimpse ofAnna, but obtained none; yet the mere sense of her nearnesshad completely altered his mood.

　　The child, Sophy told him, was doing well; but Mrs. Leathhad decided to wait till the surgeon came. Darrow, as theyturned away, looked through the gates, and saw the doctor'sold-fashioned carriage by the roadside.

　　"Let me tell the doctor's boy to drive you back," hesuggested; but Sophy answered: "No; I'll walk," and he movedon toward the house at her side. She expressed no surpriseat his not remaining at the lodge, and again they walked onin silence through the rain. She had accepted the shelterof his umbrella, but she kept herself at such a carefullymeasured distance that even the slight swaying movementsproduced by their quick pace did not once bring her arm intouch with his; and, noticing this, he perceived that everydrop of her blood must be alive to his nearness.

　　"What I meant just now," he began, "was that you ought tohave been sure of my good wishes."She seemed to weigh the words. "Sure enough for what?""To trust me a little farther than you did.""I've told you that yesterday I wasn't free to speak.""Well, since you are now, may I say a word to you?"She paused perceptibly, and when she spoke it was in so lowa tone that he had to bend his head to catch her answer. "Ican't think what you can have to say.""It's not easy to say here, at any rate. And indoors Isha'n't know where to say it." He glanced about him in therain. "Let's walk over to the spring-house for a minute."To the right of the drive, under a clump of trees, a littlestucco pavilion crowned by a balustrade rose on arches ofmouldering brick over a flight of steps that led down to aspring. Other steps curved up to a door above. Darrowmounted these, and opening the door entered a small circularroom hung with loosened strips of painted paper whereonspectrally faded Mandarins executed elongated gestures.

　　Some black and gold chairs with straw seats and an unsteadytable of cracked lacquer stood on the floor of red-glazedtile.

　　Sophy had followed him without comment. He closed the doorafter her, and she stood motionless, as though waiting forhim to speak.

　　"Now we can talk quietly," he said, looking at her with asmile into which he tried to put an intention of thefrankest friendliness.

　　She merely repeated: "I can't think what you can have tosay."Her voice had lost the note of half-wistful confidence onwhich their talk of the previous day had closed, and shelooked at him with a kind of pale hostility. Her tone madeit evident that his task would be difficult, but it did notshake his resolve to go on. He sat down, and mechanicallyshe followed his example. The table was between them andshe rested her arms on its cracked edge and her chin on herinterlocked hands. He looked at her and she gave him backhis look.

　　"Have you nothing to say to ME?" he asked at length.

　　A faint smile lifted, in the remembered way, the left cornerof her narrowed lips.

　　"About my marriage?""About your marriage."She continued to consider him between half-drawn lids. "Whatcan I say that Mrs. Leath has not already told you?""Mrs. Leath has told me nothing whatever but the fact--andher pleasure in it.""Well; aren't those the two essential points?""The essential points to YOU? I should have thought----""Oh, to YOU, I meant," she put in keenly.

　　He flushed at the retort, but steadied himself and rejoined:

　　"The essential point to me is, of course, that you should bedoing what's really best for you."She sat silent, with lowered lashes. At length shestretched out her arm and took up from the table a littlethreadbare Chinese hand-screen. She turned its ebony stemonce or twice between her fingers, and as she did so Darrowwas whimsically str............