Mona kissed her affectionately. "Come, that is right! With that comfortable creed for a pillow, you ought to have an excellent night."
CHAPTER XXVI.
A CHAT BY THE FIRE.
Mona hesitated at the door of her own room, and then decided to run down for ten minutes to the sitting-room fire. She was too depressed to go to bed, and she wanted something to change the current of her thoughts. To her surprise, she found Mr Reynolds still in his large arm-chair, apparently lost in thought.
Prompted by a sudden impulse, she seated herself on a stool close to him, and laid her hand on his knee.
"Mr Reynolds," she said, "life looks very grey sometimes."
He smiled. "We all have to make up our minds to that, dear;" and after a pause he added, "This is a strange duty that you have imposed upon yourself."
"Yes."
"For six months, is it not?"
"Yes."