Thérèse looked at him with a sudden flickering of her clear eyes.
"I think so, sir," she said, with soft hesitation, and she slowly led him across the hall.
The drawing-room door opened. Major Warkworth emerged.
"Ah, how do you do?" he said, shortly, staring in a kind of bewilderment as he saw Delafield. Then he hurriedly looked for his hat, ran down the stairs, and was gone.
"Announce me, please," said Delafield, peremptorily, to the little girl. "Tell Miss Le Breton that I am here." And he drew back from the open door of the drawing-room. Thérèse slipped in, and reappeared.
"Please to walk in, sir," she said, in her shy, low voice, and Delafield entered. From the hall he had caught one involuntary glimpse of Julie, standing stiff and straight in the middle of the room, her hands clasped to her breast--a figure in pain. When he went in, she was in her usual seat by the fire, with her embroidery frame in front of her.
"May I come in? It is rather late."
"Oh, by all means! Do you bring me any news of Evelyn? I haven't seen her for three days."
He seated himself beside her. It was hard, indeed, for him to hide all signs of the tumult within. But he held a firm grip upon himself.
"I saw Evelyn this afternoon. She complained that you had had no time for her lately."