Christine read the message through, then let it flutter to the floor at her feet; she looked up at Jimmy's embarrassed face.
"Well?" she said sharply.
"He's coming to-morrow, you see," Jimmy began stumblingly. "He—he'll be in London to-morrow, so if—so if——" He cast an appealing glance at Gladys.
"I suppose I'm in the way," she said bluntly. "I'll clear out."
She turned to the door, but Christine stopped her.
"You're not in the way—I'd rather you stayed. You may as well hear what we're talking about. Jimmy's brother is coming home, and—and, you see, he doesn't know that I—that we——"
"I've asked her to come back to me—at any rate, for a time," Jimmy interrupted valiantly. "I know I don't deserve it, but it would make such a deuce of a difference if she would—you know what Horatio is—I—I'd give anything to prevent him knowing what a mess I've made of everything," he added boyishly.
They were both looking at Gladys now, Jimmy and Christine, and for a moment she stood irresolute, then she turned to Jimmy's wife. "Well, what are you going to do?" she said, and her usually blunt voice was quite gentle.
Christine moved closer to her friend.
"Oh, what do you think I ought to do?" she appealed in a whisper.