"You have just come?" she said, in a voice that, to herself, seemed far
away.
"I have been here some hours," he answered. Secrecy again--always the
thing that had chilled the dead woman, and laid a cold hand upon
herself--"I felt the shadow of secrecy in your life. When you talked most
I felt you most secretive, and the feeling slowly closed the door upon
all frankness and sympathy and open speech between us."
"Why did you not see me--dine with me?" she asked. "What can the servants
think?" Even in such a crisis the little things had place--habit struck
its note in the presence of her tragedy.
"You had the Duchess of Snowdon, and we are not precisely congenial;
besides, I had much to do in the laboratory. I'm working for that new
explosive of which I told you. There's fame and fortune in it, and I'm on
the way. I feel it coming"--his eyes sparkled a little. "I made it right
with the servants; so don't be apprehensive."
"I have not seen you for nearly a week. It doesn't seem--friendly."
"Politics and science are stern masters," he answered gaily.
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