Eva did not say anything, but though she was quiet she looked less miserable than she had done when she came down. That day she did not go to the Enterprise Club, where they ate their cold lunch or had the pies heated if they liked; and when Amy rang her up on the telephone she said she was lunching with a friend. Nor did she come home by the same train as Amy, who even waited for the next, and then gave her up in despair.
'What happened to you, Eva?' asked Stella. Neither Amy nor Vava cared or dared to question her when she did come in, looking very tired and with dark rims round her eyes.
'I missed my train,' she replied, throwing herself into a chair in an attitude of utter exhaustion.
'You must have missed two trains,' said Amy.
'Yes, I did; I saw the second one go out of the station as I came in; the office clock must have been slow,' observed Eva.
'I should not trust to the office clock,' said Stella.
'I thought you said your watch had never lost a minute since you had had it,' remarked Vava.
It seemed an innocent enough remark; but Eva flushed crimson, and said, 'I wish you would not worry me like this. I suppose I can miss my train without all this fuss?' Then she got up and left the room, and they noticed that she had not her wrist-watch on.
No one made any remark upon her conduct, and at dinner they tried to cheer her up by being very cheerful themselves; but the effort proved a vain one. After a rather depressing meal, Eva got up and went to bed, as she said; at all events, she retired to her room. Vava went off to do her lessons with Doreen, and Amy and Stella were left together.
'Stella, what are we to do? We can't let her go on like this!' cried Amy.