She turned to Henry. "Take her in," she said, "and ... and comfort her!"
He went to them, and put his arm about Mary, and led her to the house. "Won't you come in, too?" he said, turning to Mrs. Graham.
"No, Henry," she answered. "Not yet. I want to be out here. I ... I want to be alone!"
She moved away, going slowly down the avenue of trees until she reached the orchard, and then she went into it, and was hidden by the apple trees....
He led Mary into the house. "We can't do anything, Mary," he said. "We're ... we're all caught in this thing ... and we can't do anything...."
She went to her room, and when he had seen the door close behind her, he turned to go back to the drawing-room. He would have to write to Roger. "First it was Gilbert ... then it was Ninian ... presently, it will be!..."
He shuddered, and tried to shut the thought out of his mind.
There was a servant in the hall. "Tell the others," he said in a cold, toneless voice, "that Mr. Ninian ... has been killed in France!"
"Oh, sir!..." the girl cried, clasping her hands together.
He did not wait to hear, and she hurried down the passage to the kitchens.