d hear voices. They started up.

'Who the deuce . . . .?' said Cairns.

Then they heard someone in the dining-room beyond the door. There was a
knock at the door of the boudoir.

'Come in,' said Victoria.

Mary entered. Her placid eyes passed over the Major's tie which had
burst out of his waistcoat, Victoria's tumbled hair.

'Mr Wren, mum,' she said.

Victoria staggered. Her hands knotted themselves together convulsively.

'Good God,' she whispered.

'Who is it? What does he want? What name did you say?' asked Cairns.
Victoria's excitement was infecting him.

Victoria did not answer. Mary stood before them, her eyes downcast
before the drama. She was waiting for orders.

'Can't you speak?' growled Cairns. 'Who is it?'

Victoria found her voice at last.

'My brother,' she said hoarsely.

Cairns did not say a word. He walked once up and once down the room,
stopped before the mirror to settle his tie. Then turned to Mary.

'Tell the gentleman Mrs Ferris can't see him!'

Mary turned to go. There was a sound of footsteps in the dining-room.
The button of the door turned twice as if somebody was trying to open
it. The door was locked but Cairns almost leaped towards it. Victoria
stopped him.

'No,' she said, 'let me have it out. Tell Mr Wren I'm coming, Mary.'

Mary turned away. The incident was fading from her mind as a stone fades
away as it falls into an abyss. Victoria clung to Cairns and whispered
in his ear.

'Tom, go away, go away. Come back in an hour. I beg you.'

'No, old girl, I'm going to see you through,' said Cairns doggedly.

'No, no, don't.' There was fear in her voice. 'I must have it out. Go
away, for my sake, Tom.'

She pushed him gently into the hall, forced him to pick up his hat and
stick and closed the door behind him. She braced herself for the effort;
for a second the staircase shivered before her eyes like a road in the
heat.

'Now for it,' she said, 'I'm in for a row.'

A pleasant little tingle was in her veins. She opened the dining-room
door. It was not very light. There was a slight singing in her ears.
She saw nothing before her except a man's legs clad in worn grey
trousers where the knees jutted forward sharply. With an effort she
raised her eyes and looked Edward in the face.

He was pale and thin as ever. A ragged wisp of yellow hair hung over the
left side of his forehead. He peered at her through his silver-mounted
glasses. His hands were twisting at his wat