He would not meet hers.
She realized that he could not bear to look at her.
"Shall we go upstairs?" he said when dinner was finished.
"If you like."
She rose and he held open the door for her. His eyes were cast down as she passed him.
When they reached the sitting-room he took up the illustrated paper once more.
"Is this a new Sketch?
I don't think I've seen it."
"I don't know.
I haven't noticed."
It had been lying about for a fortnight and she knew that he had looked it through and through.
He took it and sat down.
She lay again on the sofa and took her book.
As a rule in the evening, when they were alone, they played coon-can* or patience.
He was leaning back in an arm-chair, in a comfortable attitude, and his attention seemed absorbed by the illustration he was looking at.
He did not turn the page.
She tried to read, but she could not see the print before her eyes. The words were blurred.
Her head began to ache violently.
When would he speak?
They sat in silence for an hour.
She gave up the pretence of reading, and letting her novel fall on her lap, gazed into space.
She was afraid to make the smallest gesture or the smallest sound.
He sat quite still, in that same easy attitude, and stared with those wide, immobile eyes of his at the picture.
His stillness was strangely menacing.
It gave Kitty the feeling of a wild beast prepared to spring.
When suddenly he stood up she started.
She clenched her hands and she felt herself grow pale.
Now!
"I have some work to do," he said in that quiet, toneless voice, his eyes averted. "If you don't mind I'll go into my study.
I daresay you'll have gone to bed by the time I've finished."
"I am rather tired to-night."
"Well, good night."
"Goodnight."
He left the room.
XIX
AS soon as she could next morning she rang Townsend up at his office:
"Yes, what is it?"
"I want to see you."
"My dear, I'm awfully busy.
I'm a working man."
"It's very important.
Can I come down to the office?"
"Oh, no, I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"Well, come here then."
"I can't possibly get away.
What about this afternoon?
And don't you think it would be better if I didn't come to your house?"
"I must see you at once."
There was a pause and she was afraid that she had been cut off.
"Are you there?" she asked anxiously.