"She can't just walk in alone, without a card to admit her, or anything. You know what an autocrat Mr. Crayford is."
"But he knows Mrs. Shiffney. We met him first at her house in London, don't you remember?"
"You don't suppose he's going to let everyone he knows into a rehearsal, do you?"
Claude got up from his chair.
"No. But—Charmian, I can't think of all these details. I can't—I can't!"
There was a sharp edge to his voice.
"I have too much to carry in my mind just now."
"I know," she said, softening. "I didn't mean"—the alert expression, which for an instant had vanished, returned to her face—"I only wanted to know—"
"Please don't ask me any more! I asked Mrs. Shiffney to come to the rehearsal. She said she would. Then we talked of other things."
"Other things! Then you stayed some time?"