She thought he looked at her.
“I don’t always see my husband!” said Mrs. Lewin adroitly. “Life would be so fatiguing if one could not sometimes close one’s eyes, wouldn’t it?”
“Or substitute another object?” said Halton, as they drew rein. “The mail comes in to-morrow, and I expect to leave in her the day after, Mrs. Lewin. But I hope this is not good-bye?”
“I am coming to see you off, of course! I will bring you one of Ally’s pocket handkerchiefs.”
“To wave, or to weep in?”
“Whichever you prefer. Personally, I want to murder people who weep over me; but if you like it, I will imitate the late rains.”
“I would not cost you a tear!” he said, with a sudden note of feeling in his voice that vaguely surprised her. “If your future were in my hands, there would be very little fear for it.”
He rode away into the darkness without any further farewell, while Mrs. Lewin pondered his words with a fresh misgiving. When Ally came in half-an-hour later, he told her—as he usually did when it was so—that Halton had been speaking of her.
“I hope he was admiring me!” said Chum brightly. “But he could hardly do less—to you.”
“He said you were very clever!” said Ally doubtfully. Who likes his wife to be called clever?