“I’m ready now,” he said.
O’Rane felt for his hat and stood up.
“You think it’s all right to leave her?” he asked.
“Why not? The nurse is somewhere about.”
“She seems—rather upset.”
The crying was real, then, and some one else could hear it. O’Rane spoke caustically, as though he were responsible....
“I’m afraid I shall only make her worse... Shall we start? I’ll give you a hand, if I may; the stairs are rather tricky. Are we going to your place, or will you come with me to the club? I don’t want to meet a lot of people. You said we should be by ourselves?”
One jerky question tumbled on to the heels of another. It was idle for Eric to pretend that nothing had happened; it was impossible to remain silent.
“It’ll be only the two of us,” said O’Rane.
“Let’s find a taxi.”