"Fainted!" His voice was instantly sharp with anxiety.
"Yes—in the middle of dinner. Such a scene and Uncle Richard thought I let down the family dreadfully."
"I hope you went straight to bed—Ah! that was why you saw Christopher this morning!"
"Yes, that was why! No, I didn't come straight back last night—I went round to Lizzie's—I was frightened and felt that I couldn't come back all alone."
They were both of them instantly aware that someone else lived at 24 Saxton Square beside Miss Rand. There was a sharp little pause, during which they both of them heard their hearts say: "Oh! I hope you aren't going to let that little thing matter!"
Then Roddy said—"Well, dear. I'm jolly glad you did go to Lizzie. I hate your fainting like that. What did Christopher say this morning?"
"Oh! nothing—I'll tell you later."
She was gone.
When she returned Peters was bringing in the tea and they could exchange no word. The spring was beginning, already the evenings were longer and a pale glow, orange-coloured, lingered in the sky and lit the green of the park with dim radiance. Within the room the fire crackled, the silver shone, the lustre bowl was glowing—
Rachel went across to the table, then staring out at the evening light said, "Roddy, who are your visitors?"