w her arm about
his neck, leaning her cheek down to his so that their two shadows became
one.

The starving waif outside the window of the cook-shop knows no more
excruciating aggravation of his pangs than to look at food, and yet keeps
on looking. It may have been like this with Saxham, empty of all love, and
gnawed by the tooth of a sharper hunger than that which is merely
physical. He started out of his lethargy when his wife's voice reached
him.

"Owen!... Why, you are sitting in the dark!"

Lynette heard someone moving among the shadows. The electric reading-lamp
upon the writing-table diffused a mellow radiance under its green silk
shade. Two other globes sprang into shining life, and showed her, smiling,
and shrinking a little from the sudden incursion of light, as Saxham, with
the quiet, unhurried, scrupulous courtesy he always showed towards his
wife, received the heavy driving-mantle of sables that she dropped from
her shoulders, and laid it over a chair. A frosty breath from the outer
atmosphere clung to it, but the silken lining was penetratingly warm, and
instinct with the sweetness of the woman, so much so that it was agony to
the man....

She wore a white cloth gown of elegantly-simple cut, that revealed with
unostentatious art the lovely lines of the slender shape. A knot of white
and golden freesias, exhaling a clean, delicate perfume, was fastened at
her breast; her wonderful red-brown hair was shaded by a broad-brimmed
brown felt hat of Vandyke shape, with creamy drooping plumes. The rare
promise of her beauty had fulfilled itself in the last six months. She was
bewilderingly lovely.

She drew out the jewelled pins that fastened her hat, and threw it down,
and took a favourite seat of hers beside the fire, and looked across at
the man who was her husband, smiling faintly as she held her little foot,
delicately shod, high-arched and slim, to the blaze of the wood-fire.

"Do I interfere with your work? Are any patients waiting?"

"It is past my hour for seeing patients," said Saxham, with a smile. "And
if anyone were waiting, you are an older client, and have the prior
claim."

"We will have tea in here, then," she said, and touched the bell, adding:
"I am fond of this room."

It was just now a place that was dear to Saxham. He came across to the
hearth and stirred the fire to a ruddier blaze, and stood at the opposite
side of it, leaning an arm upon the mantelshelf. The shining mirror above