He rested his elbow on the back of her chair and passed his hand tenderly over her hot brow. Her lips tightened, then relaxed, and she seemed to be on the point of crying again. With an effort, she overcame this hysterical emotion.
‘Sit down, Philip, there, where I can see your face,’ she said; and the voice was steady, although there were pauses between some of the words.
‘Will that do?’
He seated himself so that he could look at her face in the full light of the fire.
‘No; turn to the fire, so that I can see you.’
He drew a hassock close to her chair, sat down on it, and looked up to her so that the full reflection of the fire fell upon him.
‘Will that please you?’
She passed her hand timidly through his hair without looking at him.
‘I am half ashamed to tell you,’ she said huskily, ‘because I have done something that you will be angry about.’
‘Come on with it, then, and let us get the angry part over as quickly as possible, so that we may have the more time for enjoying ourselves.’