"You will come to the fire?"
Braine nods, and steps just inside the door:
"You wanted me for something?" buttoning his glove—he speaks pleasantly, but hurriedly.
She says calmly; "I was not going out to-night."
There is the most imperceptible pause before her next words. Braine makes no remark. She continues;
"And I thought if you had any work to do in the way of writing, I might as well do it."
She finishes, and turns back to the fire.
He replies: "If you are not going out, you might draft a reply to Carson's letter. It must be carefully done. There must be enough in it to satisfy him, but not enough to commit me. You understand about what I want, I think."
"Yes. I think so," drily.
"So—I'm off, dear. Good-bye."