They moved slowly toward the door together. When they stood upon the threshold he dropped her hand as awkwardly as he had taken it, and made a gesture toward the stairway, the suspicious brightness of his eyes more manifest than ever.
"Your children are up there asleep," he said, unsteadily. "Go to them."
And turning away, shrugged himself into his overcoat at the hat-stand, opened the door for himself, and went out of the house without another word.
CHAPTER XXXV.
The last words of his half-reluctant, half-exultant confession had scarcely left Richard Amory's lips when Tredennis rose from his chair.
"If you can," he said, "tell me the literal truth. Blundel is at your house with your wife. There is something she is to do. What is it?"
"She is to hand him an envelope containing a slip of paper," said Richard, doggedly. "That is what she is to do."
Tredennis crossed the room, and took his hat from its place.