His tone of miserable humility began to affect her rather strangely. It was not so easy to drive in the nail.
"You needn't be so repentant," she said, with a little shrinking laugh. "One has to forget—everything—in good time. You've given Whinthorpe people something to talk about at my expense—for which I am not at all obliged to you. You nearly killed me, which doesn't matter. And you behaved disgracefully to Mr. Helbeck. But it's done—and now you've got to make up—somehow."
"Has he made you pay for it—since?" said Mason eagerly.
"He? Mr. Helbeck?" She laughed. Then she added, with all the severity she could muster, "He treated me in a most kind and gentlemanly way—if you want to know. The great pity is that you—and Cousin Elizabeth—understand nothing at all about him."
He groaned. She could hear his feet restlessly moving.
"Well—and now you are going to Froswick," she resumed. "What are you going to do there?"
"There's an uncle of mine in one of the shipbuilding yards there. He's got leave to take me into the fitting department. If I suit he'll get me into the office. It's what I've wanted this two years."
"Well, now you've got it," she said impatiently, "don't be dismal. You have your chance."
"Yes, and I don't care a haporth about it," he said, with sudden energy, throwing his head up and bringing his fist down on his knee.
She felt her power, and liked it. But she hurried to answer: