"You can't know. That's true, isn't it? Answer me—answer!"
And quite suddenly Richard Frencham Altar's world went all black and his knees gave way beneath him. He fell with his head in his hands crying and gasping like a broken hearted child. And Auriole came to him and put her arms round him and kissed his neck, his hair, and his poor thin hands.
"And I've helped in the torture," she sobbed. "Broken you down. Oh! what a beast. What a beast I am."
"Very tired," said Richard. "Want to go to sleep."
"There's no sleep for you in this house except——"
The door opened and Ezra Hipps walked in.
"Sorry to interrupt," he said, "but how's things?"
"I was just coming," said Auriole with a quick pretence at light heartedness. "I have something important to say."
Hipps shook Richard by the shoulder.
"How's that memory?" he enquired.