"And if I had nothing to tell you?" she interrupted.
For a moment Eric did not understand her. For all her self-possession, there were shadows under her eyes, and she was haggard as on the night when they first met. Jack's appearance, then, and their conversation together had made no difference … no difference one way or the other; she had not telephoned because there was nothing to tell him.
"I don't think I've anything more to say, Babs."
An arm interposed itself between them, and he looked down to see what was being put before him. To his surprise they had only reached the fish. He seemed to have been dining for an eternity!
"D'you care to hear what happened?" she asked.
"What d'you think I'm made of?" he muttered.
Barbara began eating her fish and telling her story at the same time. It was short, and she gave it in jerky little sentences. George Oakleigh had telephoned to say that he had two stalls for "Mother's Son" and would be delighted if she would dine and go with him.… They arrived and saw a certain number of friends.… At the end of the first act George went out to smoke a cigarette.… She had just begun talking to Gerry Deganway when she looked up and caught Jack's eye.… They were both so much surprised that they became praeternaturally natural. . . .
"I said: 'I've not seen you for a long time. I heard you were home.' He said: 'I got back a fortnight ago.' I asked him how he was and whether he'd had a very awful time in Germany.… And he laughed and said he was glad, on the whole, that it was all over, but that he was a fair German scholar now—or something of that kind—and he'd never have taken the trouble to learn another language if it hadn't been for the war.… I think he didn't find it easy to slip away; and I hate people leaning over me, when they're talking, so I asked him to sit down till George came back. Then the only thing we talked about was his being wounded and taken prisoner. I'd heard it all before, of course, but I felt I couldn't bear it if we both stopped talking.… Then George came along and shook hands.… And a moment later Jack went back to his place. You see, there wasn't very much to tell you."
"But is that all?"
"Absolutely all," she sighed.