"I met Mark," said Lady Rossiter very gravely.
Sir Julian peeled a walnut attentively.
"It seemed—I say it in all reverence—like an answer to prayer, for I had prayed over it all. Julian, I was miserable. I could see all the tangle and perplexity so clearly, and yet I felt bound and helpless. I could do nothing to help or to hinder."
Julian reflected detachedly that his wife did herself less than justice.
"And then I met Mark. And I knew as soon as I saw him that it was my opportunity for helping. It is so curious, when one has formed the habit of looking for little opportunities, how the big one is sure to come sooner or later. Mark wanted help badly, Julian."
Lady Rossiter waited for a moment, during which her husband remained motionless, and then went on speaking in slow, even tones.
"I believe in courage, as you know, most intensely. It is so difficult, sometimes, to break through our conventional reserve. It was so to-day. But I spoke. Mark has no woman in his life."
"I can hardly agree with you, in the circumstances," muttered Julian grimly, but his wife disregarded the interruption.
"And there are times when a man wants a woman to whom he can speak freely. Oh, I didn't hurt his chivalry in any way—I respect it far too much. Nothing was put into words between us, practically—but everything was implied."
"At the moment, Edna, I prefer words to implications, as I am very much more likely to understand them. What did you say to Mark?"