Very cautiously, indeed, did Ingram set out on this perilous undertaking. It was no easy matter so to shut out all references to Sheila’s surroundings that no hint should be given to this anxious listener as to her whereabouts. But Ingram got through it successfully; and when he had finished Lavender sat some time in silence, merely toying with his knife, for, indeed, he had eaten nothing. “If it is her wish,” he said slowly, “that I should not go to see her, I will try to do so. But I should like to know where she is. You say she is comfortable, and she has Mairi for a companion; and that is something. In the meantime I suppose I must wait.”
“I don’t see, myself, how waiting is likely to do much good,” said Ingram. “That won’t alter your relations much.”
“It may alter her determination. A woman is sure to soften into charity and forgiveness; she can’t help it.”
“If you were to ask Sheila now, she would say she had forgiven you already. But that is a different matter from getting her to resume her former method of life with you. To tell you the truth, I should strongly advise her, if I were to give advice at all, not to attempt anything of the sort. One failure is bad enough, and has wrought sufficient trouble.”
“Then what am I to do, Ingram?”
“You must judge for yourself what is the most likely way of winning back Sheila’s confidence in you, and the most likely conditions under which she might be induced to join you again. You need not expect to get her back into that square, I should fancy; that experiment has rather broken down.”
“Well,” said Lavender, “I shan’t bore you any more just now about my affairs. Look after your dinner, old fellow; your starving yourself won’t help me much.”
“I don’t mean to starve myself at all,” said Ingram, steadily making his way through the abundant dishes his friend had ordered. “But I had a very good luncheon this morning with—”
“With Sheila,” Lavender said, quickly.
“Yes. Does it surprise you to find that she is in a place where she can get food? I wish the poor child had made better use of her opportunities.”