“He’s in the garden,” I broke in. “You can pass through the hall, Essie.”
She rose to her feet, and her vehemence dropped from her. Her eyes were rivetted on Ted. She paid no heed to what I said. She had no attention to give to anything but her husband.
“I will not come out,” she said, and she sat down again on the divan.
“Then by—he shall come in,” said Ted, and before I could stop him he strode to the door, calling loudly to the Duke to enter.
There was a moment’s pause, in which we heard a step cross the hall. Then the Duke came in, and Ted introduced him to Essie. She bowed slightly, but he did not. He stared at her, transfixed, overwhelmed.
At that moment the discreet voice of Mr. Rodwell was heard in the doorway.
“Can I have one last word, Mr. Hopkins? A matter of some importance.”
“Yes, yes,” said Ted darting to the door, thankful to escape. As he left the room he said to me, “Take Essie at once into the hall. At once, do you hear?”
He might as well have said, “Take her to the moon.”
The Duke and Essie gazed at each other with awed intentness. There was sheer amazement on his face, blank despair on hers. They were entirely absorbed in each other. As I stood in the background I felt as if I were a ghost, that no word of mine could reach their world.