"I didn't know you," she exclaimed. "What is the matter?"
"Nothing—thank you," Robin answered pausing.
"Something is! You are losing your looks. Is your mistress working you to death?"
"The Duchess is very kind indeed. She is most careful that I don't do too much. I like my work more every day."
Feather took her in with a sharp scrutinising. She seemed to look her over from her hat to her shoes before she broke into her queer little critical laugh.
"Well, I can't congratulate her on the result. You are thin. You've lost your colour and your mouth is beginning to drag at the corners." And she nodded and marched away, the high heels of her beautiful small brown boots striking the pavement with a military click.
As she had dressed in the morning Robin had wondered if she was mistaken in thinking that the awful nights had made her look different.
If there had been letters to read—even a few lines such as are all a soldier may write—to read over and over again, to hide in her breast all day, to kiss and cry over and lay her cheek upon at night. Such a small letter would have been such a huge comfort and would have made the dream seem less far away. But everybody waited for letters—and waited and waited. And sometimes they went astray or were lost forever and people were left waiting.