It was the same
smile, and he knew very well that he himself had not changed, yet
it seemed as though life itself were in a state of suspense for
him.
"You, too, are looking grave this morning, my friend," she
continued. "Oh, how horrible it has all been! Within the last
two hours I have had at least five reporters, a gentleman from
Scotland Yard, another from the American Ambassador to see me.
It is too terrible, of course," she went on. "Wenham's people
are doing all they can to make it worse. They want to know why
we were not together, why he was living in the country and I in
town. They are trying to show that he was under restraint there,
as if such a thing were possible! Mathers was his own servant--
poor Mathers!
She sighed and wiped her eyes. Still Tavernake said nothing.
She looked at him, a little surprised.
"You are not very sympathetic," she observed. "Please come and
sit down by my side and I will show you something."
He moved towards her but he did not sit down. She stretched out
her hand and picked something up from the table, holding it
towards him. Tavernake took it mechanically and held it in his
fingers. It was a cheque for twelve thousand pounds.
"You see," she said, "I have not forgotten. This is the day,
isn't it? If you like, you can stay and have lunch with me up
here and we will drink to the success of our speculation."
Tavernake held the cheque in his fingers; he made no motion to
put it in his pocket.
Pages:
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285