He smiled; an odd little embarrassed smile; almost as if he were owning that it was or had been true.
"Is it?" she persisted as he went on smiling.
"Of course it isn't."
She frowned as if she were annoyed with him for not being ill.
"Then what was that other man here for?"
"Harker? Oh, he just took my place for a day or two while I had a sore throat."
"You had a throat then?"
Thus she accused him.
"And you did sit up for three nights with Ned Alderson's baby?"
She defied him to deny it.