Ember stood still with his hand on the half-opened door.
“You’ve been down there?”
“Why, yes, once or twice.”
“Lately?” His voice was rather low.
“Yes, quite lately.”
Ember gripped the door.
“And how did you know—oh, I beg your pardon.”
“Yes, I don’t think we need go into that.” She spoke gently but from a distance. As she spoke she passed him and went through the hall and up the stairs. The heavy tassels of her girdle knocked softly against each shallow step.
Ember went on gripping the door until she came down again wrapped in a long black cloak. When he dropped his hand there was a red incised line across the palm. He saw that the cloak was smeared with green. How near to the edge they had been, how horribly near!
He opened the door and lighted her down the steps in silence, and in silence walked as far as the laboratory turning. When he turned to the left and flashed his light ahead of them, Raymond spoke: