"Eric, what's the matter? What have I done? Mayn't I even call you 'darling' now?"
"Are you being quite honest, Barbara?"
"Thank you, Eric!"
"Have you nothing to tell me since last time?"
She looked at him imperiously and considered her words before speaking.
"The last time we met? Or the last time we corresponded? Which d'you mean? The last time we corresponded was when your secretary telephoned to thank me for the flowers. Before that, you sent me a message by her that you probably wouldn't be well enough to take me to your first night.… I'd have come round the evening before if Dr. Gaisford hadn't made me promise not to. I've always said that I'd come to you from the ends of the earth if you were ill. When I heard that you weren't allowed to see any one——"
"It wasn't as bad as that," Eric interrupted. "Gaisford let me get up for the first night. I—caught sight of you in the distance. But I left after the first interval."
4
From the end of the table Lady Poynter was making desperate attempts to attract Eric's attention.
"Mr. Lane, you're the only person who can tell us this——"