one loves. I never knew a man who
adored his wife more than Mr Merrivale does you; but I expect it suits
him better just now to lie quietly and snooze rather than to hold your
hand and watch you cry."

She looked guilty at that, and tossed her head with a spice of her old
spirit. But the next moment her breath caught in a sob, and she cried
desperately:--

"Oh, Evelyn, it's all awful! Other things--everything--far worse than
you know. I'm the most miserable creature in the world. I think I
shall go mad. I sent for you because--"

"Hold hard for one moment! I'm hungry! I need my lunch! So do you, by
the look of you. Shall we have it first, and tackle the serious
business afterwards in your room, where we shan't be interrupted. There
will be plenty of time; I needn't leave till five."

"I ordered cutlets, and an omelette, and coffee afterwards. All the
things you liked best when you were here. But I can't eat a bite. It
would choke me. I hate the sight of food."

"Very well then--you can watch me eat mine," I said, with the
callousness of one who had heard dozens of people declare the same
thing, and then watched them tuck into a square meal. Delphine proved
another protester to add to the list. She ate her share of the meal
with no sign of choking, and brightened into acutest interest at hearing
of my escort from town. The fork stopped half-way to her mouth; her
eyes widened to saucer size. In the sheer surprise of the moment she
forgot her grief and anxieties.

"But--but--how _could_ he be there? He was here last night. Quite
late. Ten o'clock. Walked down after dinner to hear how Jacky was!"

I made a vague sweeping gesture, which was designed to express a lack of
all responsibility concerning the Squire's eccentricities, but
Delphine's suspicions were aroused, and she was not to be easily put
off.

"He must have gone up by the workman's train. And yours left at eleven.
How very peculiar! And he said nothing last night. ... Did I tell him
you were coming?" She wrinkled her brows in the effort to remember.
"Yes, I did. He said something about taking me for a drive to freshen
me up, and I said you would be here before lunch. Evelyn, he couldn't
possibly have gone to meet you!"

Evidently she suspected nothing. I tried to look composed and natural,
and said lightly:--

"It seems preposterous, doesn't it. He certainly did not say so."

She stared at me curiously.

"What did y