"What is it?" she asked, with a timid kindness. "What has happened? Won't you tell me?"
"You know—I am sure you know——"
His voice was choked into silence.
"But you will get over it—oh, yes, you will! Your work——"
"I can't work!" he broke out vehemently—"I shall never work again. She has changed all my life. I must find something else to do—I don't care what. I can't go in for that examination."
Then abruptly he turned to her with a look of eagerness.
"Would it be any use? Suppose I got a place in one of the offices? Would there be any hope for me?"
Mrs. Hannaford's eyes dropped.
"Don't think of her," she answered. "She has such brilliant prospects—it is so unlikely. You think me unsympathetic—oh, I'm not!" Again she let her fingers rest on his arm. "I feel so much with you that I daren't offer imaginary hopes. She belongs to such a different world, try, try to forget her."
"Of course I know she cares and thinks nothing about me now. But if I made my way——"