"Sir Julian, I prefer to make my attitude perfectly clear to you at once——" began Mr. Fuller with great vehemence, when Mark Easter came back into the room.
Although the inopportuneness of an abrupt silence striking through the excited conversation that had raged a moment before was evident to the point of blatancy, an immediate dumbness fell upon everyone as the door opened before Mark.
To Sir Julian's perception, it was oddly significant that Mark, after one quick glance from face to face, should remain silent and unsmiling, asking no question.
It was the woman present who haltingly broke through the awkward pause.
"We were just wondering if—if there was to be any tea for us. A Committee meeting in the afternoon is so unusual for the College, isn't it? We hardly know ourselves, when it isn't the ordinary eleven o'clock meeting."
"There is tea in Miss Marchrose's room," said Mark.
He spoke without expression.
"Oh, thank you," said Edna, from pure nervousness, and walked out of the room.
Sir Julian followed her, partly from sheer desire not to be confronted with his infuriated Supervisor, and partly from a wish to see Miss Marchrose herself.
She passed them in the passage, and Edna inclined her head without speaking, and walked on.