"You've gone rather too far," she whispered.
"I've a right. Answer. Was there an arrangement? Did you expect him here to-night while I struggled in town?"
The discordant jangling appeared to enter his consciousness. He sprang back, listening.
"That might—By gad, if it were!"
"It's the telephone," she said, "in the library."
"Why isn't it answered? Oh, yes. You might have kept Thompson at least. Let it ring. I shan't go down."
"A doctor!" she said scornfully.
She arose with an effort. The lace of the mauve dressing-gown exaggerated the difficulty of her breathing. His glance, which took all this in, was not wholly without contrition.
"Answer it," she said. "I shan't fly from the house to any man's arms while you are in the library."
He half stretched out his hand to her, but the appealing motion resolved itself into a gesture of despair. He walked out and descended to the library.