He nodded.
"Otherwise you will stay here?"
"If you are sure you wish it," she said.
"I do. And I am going to leave you this." He laid a packet upon the table. "It is better for you to be independent, for the sake of appearances." His iron mouth twitched a little. "Now, good-bye! You won't be more miserable than you can help?"
She smiled up at him bravely.
"No; I won't be miserable. How long shall you be gone?"
"Possibly a week, possibly a little more."
"But you will come back?" she said quickly, almost beseechingly.
"I shall certainly come back," he said.
With the words his great hand closed firmly upon hers, and she had a curious, vagrant feeling of insecurity that she could not attempt to analyse. Then abruptly he let her go. An instant his eyes still held her, and then, before she could begin to thank him, he turned to the door and was gone.