'A nasty man like me coming and spoiling all your fun.
Don't worry, it will be a great thrill for you when the yellow Press gets going with your life story, and you see the headlines
"From Monte Carlo to Manderley.
Experiences of murderer's girl-bride," written across the top.
Better luck next time.'
He strolled across the room to the door, waving his hand to Maxim by the window.
'So long, old man,' he said, 'pleasant dreams.
Make the most of your night behind that locked door.'
He turned and laughed at me, and then he went out of the room.
Mrs Danvers followed him.
Maxim and I were alone.
He went on standing by the window.
He did not come to me.
Jasper came trotting in from the hall.
He had been shut outside all the evening. He came fussing up to me, biting the edge of my skirt.
'I'm coming with you in the morning,' I said to Maxim.
'I'm coming up to London with you in the car.'
He did not answer for a moment.
He went on looking out of the window.
Then 'Yes,' he said, his voice without expression.
'Yes, we must go on being together.'
Frank came back into the room.
He stood in the entrance, his hand on the door.
'They've gone,' he said,
'Favell and Colonel Julyan, I watched them go.'
'All right, Frank,' said Maxim.
'Is there anything I can do?' said Frank, 'anything at all?
Wire to anyone, arrange anything?
I'll stay up all night if only there's anything I can do.
I'll get that wire off to Baker of course.'
'Don't worry,' said Maxim, 'there's nothing for you to do — yet.
There may be plenty — after tomorrow. We can go into all that when the time comes. Tonight we want to be together.
You understand, don't you?'
'Yes,' said Frank. 'Yes, of course.'
He waited a moment, his hand on the door.
'Good night,' he said.
'Good night,' said Maxim.
When he had gone, and shut the door behind him, Maxim came over to me where I was standing by the fireplace.
I held out my arms to him and he came to me like a child.
I put my arms round him and held him.
We did not say anything for a long time.
I held him and comforted him as though he were Jasper.
As though Jasper had hurt himself in some way and he had come to me to take his pain away.
'We can sit together,' he said, 'driving up in the car.'
'Yes,' I said.
'Julyan won't mind,' he said.
'No,' I said.
'We shall have tomorrow night too,' he said.
'They won't do anything at once, not for twenty-four hours perhaps.'
'No,' I said.