She looked stonily round, and her eyes came to rest on his face.
"Oh, yes. It's more comfortable. Now may I go, please?"
"You had better stay. Let me help you upstairs, and then I'll leave the house. I was hoping you'd be glad to be back. And I'd waited so long."
He smiled and held out his hands to her. She looked at him for a moment; then her eyes closed, and she began to sway.
"Take me home!" she whimpered, as George sprang forward to catch her.
"You must stay here to-night."
"I ask you to take me home!"
O'Rane put one arm under her shoulders, and the other under her knees.
"It's too late now, and you're tired, darling," he whispered. "To-morrow, if you like. I'm just going to carry you up to bed, as I used to do at Crowley Court when you were twelve and I came over for the holidays. Do you remember? And then I'll say good-night, and Violet will put you to bed and take care of you. Don't struggle, Sonia sweetheart! You can't hate me so much that you can't bear to let me touch you or carry you up a flight of stairs when you're ill."