“I merely smiled,” she said, “sweetly, as I thought.”
“It is really cruel; I have not had a word with you for days, and the universe has become a wilderness.”
“A pleasant wilderness,” she observed, looking round.
“Nature is a delightful background, but a poor subject.”
“Do you think so? I often fancy one’s general outlook would be nicer, if one had an indistinct human background and a clear foreground of unspoiled Nature. But that may be a jaundiced view.”
Hadria went off to meet Lady Engleton, who was coming down the avenue with Madame Bertaux. Professor Theobald instinctively began to follow and then stopped, reddening, as he met the glance of Miss Temperley. He flung himself into conversation with her, and became especially animated when he was passing Hadria, who did not appear to notice him. As both Professors were to leave Craddock Dene at the end of the week, this was the last meeting in the Priory gardens.
Miss Temperley found Professor Theobald entertaining, but at times a little incoherent.
“Why, there is Miss Du Prel!” exclaimed Henriette. “What an erratic person she is. She went to London the day before yesterday, and now she turns up suddenly without a word of warning.”
This confirmed Professor Theobald’s suspicions that something serious was going on at the Red House.
Valeria explained her return to Hadria, by saying that she had felt so nervous about what the latter might be going to attempt, that she had come back to see if she could be of help, or able to ward off any rash adventure.