“I don’t have to get back to the office till Monday morning and I’m staying till Sunday.
If you care to stay on here till then, I don’t see why you shouldn’t.”
Her face lit up so that you might have thought a haphazard ray of the winter sun had strayed into the room.
“Do you mean that?”
“Otherwise I wouldn’t have suggested it.”
It looked as though her legs suddenly gave way, for she sank on to a chair.
“Oh, it would be such a blessing.
It would be such a rest.
It would give me new courage.
But I can’t, I can’t.”
“Why not?
On account of the Serail?”
“Oh, no, not that.
I could send them a wire to say I had influenza.
It’s not fair to you.”
“That’s my business, isn’t it?”
It seemed a bit grim to Charley that he should have to persuade her to do what it was quite plain she was only too anxious to do, and what he would just as soon she didn’t.
But he didn’t see how else he could act now.
She gave him a searching look.
“Why should you do this?
You don’t want me, do you?”
He shook his head.
“What can it matter to you if I live or die, what can it matter to you if I’m happy or not?
You’ve not known me forty-eight hours yet.
Friendship?
I’m a stranger to you.
Pity?
What has one got to do with pity at your age?”
“I wish you wouldn’t ask me embarrassing questions,” he grinned.
“I suppose it’s just natural goodness of heart.
They always say the English are kind to animals.
I remember one of our landladies who used to steal our tea took in a mangy mongrel because it was homeless.”
“If you weren’t so small I’d give you a smack on the face for that,” he retorted cheerfully.
“Is it a go?”
“Let’s go out and have lunch.
I’m hungry.”
During luncheon they spoke of indifferent things, but when they had finished and Charley, having paid the bill, was waiting for his change, she said to him:
“Did you really mean it when you said I could stay with you till you went away?”
“Definitely.”
“You don’t know what a boon it would be to me.
I can’t tell you how I long to take you at your word.”
“Then why don’t you?”
“It won’t be much fun for you.”
“No, it won’t,” he answered frankly, but with a charming smile.
“But it’ll be interesting.”
She laughed.
“Then I’ll go back to Alexey’s and get a few things.
At least a toothbrush and some clean stockings.”
They separated at the station and Lydia took the Metro.
Charley thought that he would see if Simon was in.