her now he might never touch
her again.

In a situation that was beyond him he was always hopelessly
self-conscious. His love for Rachel was so tremendous a thing in him
that a statement of it should surely have been the simplest thing in
the world. But he saw in her eyes that to challenge her with--"My dear,
you know how I love you. Tell me what's the matter," would frighten her
to absolute silence. "I'm going to tell you nothing," she seemed to say
to him, "unless you move me in spite of myself. But, if I don't tell you
now I shall never tell you."

"Well, my dear," he said, smiling at her, "how are you after all this
time?"

"I'm all right," she answered, smiling back at him. "It is good to see
you again. Tell me all about your holiday."

"Tell me about yours first."

"Oh! There isn't very much to tell. I enjoyed it all enormously, of
course."

"What did you enjoy most?"

"Oh! some of the smaller towns--Rapallo, for instance.--Oh! yes, and
Bologna was fascinating."

"Not Rome and Florence?"

"In a way. But there were too many tourists. Rome one's got to stay in,
I'm sure. That first view was disappointing."

"And how did Roddy--if I may call him Roddy--enjoy it?"

"Immensely, I think. He liked the country better than the towns though."

"You saw lots of pictures?"

"Heaps. Roddy enjoyed them enormously. I'd no idea he knew so much about
them. Oh! it was all lovely, and such colours, such light--London seems
like a cellar, even in June."

There followed then a pause that swelled and swelled between them until
it resembled some dreadful monster, horribly stationed there to separate
them.

Christopher looked at Rachel, but she refused to meet his eyes.

"I've lost her. I shall never see her again!" he thought with despair.
Two years ago he would have gone to her, put his arms around her,
kissed her and drawn from her at once her trouble.

He could not do that now.

"Your turn, Dr. Chris dear. Tell me about your holidays."

"Oh, mine don't count. I went to Brittany first, then up to St. Andrews
with another man to play golf."

"You're looking splendidly well and you're thinner. What was Brittany
like?"

"Delightful. Have you ever been there?"

"Never. I must get Roddy to take me. Just suit him, I should think."

To Christopher's intense relief tea was brought. He came to the table
and then, for an instant, he did catch her eyes, saw tears in them, and
behind the tears some appeal to him t