'That's not a matter of life and death!' she said, with all the impatience of the young at that tyranny of little things which seems to hold its unrelenting sway, though the battlements of righteousness are rocking, and the tall towers of love are shaken to the nethermost foundation-stones.
'No, it's not a matter of life and death,' Stonor said quietly. 'All the same, I'll go down and give the order.'
'Very well.' Of her own accord this time she stopped on her way to that other door, behind which was the Past and the Future incarnate in one woman. 'I'll wait,' said Jean. She went to the table. Sitting there with her face turned from him, she said, quite low, 'You'll come back, if you're the man I pray you are.'
Her self-control seemed all at once to fail. She leaned her elbows on the table and broke into a flood of silent tears, with face hidden in her hands.
He came swiftly back, and bent over her a moved, adoring face.
'Dearest of all the world,' he began, in that beautiful voice of his.
His arms were closing round her, when the door on the left was softly opened. Vida Levering stood on the threshold.