He went close to her again and reached out one arm quickly to slip it about her waist, but she turned away from him quite casually and he stopped, disconcerted, hurt, humiliated, but covering the fact as well as he could.
An awkward fraction of a minute followed, which he broke by asking:
"But where did you come from, Ann? How did you get here? How did you know? What brought you?"
She smiled wanly.
"One at a time, Ned. You brought me. You should know that. I came out here to find you, to see what was happening, to help you if I could."
She allowed him to take her hands again and looked wistfully into his face as she talked. A change came into his expression with her words and his gaze shifted from hers while a show of petulance appeared in his slightly drawn brows.
"Well, I've needed help in one way," he muttered.
"You've been very ill, I know."
"You know?"—in surprise.
"Yes; I have been here through it all."