“I don't think Mr. Filmer would permit THAT for a moment,” said Lady Mary.
“But if Mr. Filmer's nerve is run—It might even be dangerous for him to attempt—” Hickle coughed.
“It's just because it's dangerous,” began the Lady Mary, and felt she had made her point of view and Filmer's plain enough.
Conflicting motives struggled for Filmer.
“I feel I ought to go up,” he said, regarding the ground. He looked up and met the Lady Mary's eyes. “I want to go up,” he said, and smiled whitely at her. He turned towards Banghurst. “If I could just sit down somewhere for a moment out of the crowd and sun—”
Banghurst, at least, was beginning to understand the case. “Come into my little room in the green pavilion,” he said. “It's quite cool there.” He took Filmer by the arm.
Filmer turned his face to the Lady Mary Elkinghorn again. “I shall be all right in five minutes,” he said. “I'm tremendously sorry—”
The Lady Mary Elkinghorn smiled at him. “I couldn't think—” he said to Hickle, and obeyed the compulsion of Banghurst's pull.
The rest remained watching the two recede.
“He is so fragile,” said the Lady Mary.