“I—I don’t know,” she said.

“What’s the matter? What are you looking like that for? Has anything happened to Cosimo?”

“No. No. No. He’s coming home. No. Nothing’s happened.”

“Can I be of use to you?” She was prepared to be that.

“No—yes—I don’t know——”

Dorothy’s eyes had hardened a little.—“Do you want something—and if you don’t—had you to come—to-night?”

Amory spoke quite quickly and eagerly.

“Oh yes—to-night—it had to be to-night—I had to come to-night——”

Dorothy’s eyes grew harder still.