It was his gesture when he thrust.
"For all the difference it'll make to _you_, my dear child, you might
have spared yourself the trouble and expense."
He paused.
"Has young Rowcliffe been here to-day?"
"No," said Alice defiantly, "he hasn't."
"You expected him?"
"I daresay Mary did."
"I'm not asking what Mary did. Did you expect him or did you not?"
"He _said_ he might turn up."
"He said he might turn up. You expected him. And he hasn't turned up.
And you can't think why. Isn't that so?"
"I don't know what you mean, Papa."
"I mean, my child, that you're living in a fool's paradise."
"I haven't a notion what you mean by _that_."
"Perhaps Gwenda can enlighten you."
The color died in Ally's scared face.
"I can't see," she said, "what Gwenda's got to do with it."
"She's got something to do with young Rowcliffe's not turning up, I
think. I met the two of them half way between Upthorne and Bar Hill at
half past four."
He took out his watch.
"And it's ten past six now."
He sat down, turning his chair so as not to see her face. He did not,
at the moment, care to look at her.
"You might go and ask Mrs. Gale to send me in a cup of tea."
Alice went out.
XXXIV
"It's a quarter past six now," she said to herself. "They must come
back from Bar Hill by Upthorne. I shall meet them at Upthorne if I
start now."
She slipped her rough coat over the new gown and started.
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