it. The blind curved inward like a
sail under the cold entering breeze. When he returned to Rachel
he thought he noticed the faintest pinky flush in her cheeks. And
suddenly she gave a deep sigh. He knelt again. There was something
about the line of her waist that, without any warning, seemed to him
ineffably tender, wistful, girlish, seductive. Her whole figure began
to exert the same charm over him. Even her frock, which nevertheless
was not even her second best, took on a quality that in its simplicity
bewitched him. He recalled her wonderful gesture as she lighted his
cigarette on the night when he first saw her in her kitchen; and his
memory of it thrilled him.... Rachel opened her eyes and sighed deeply
once more. He fanned her with a handkerchief drawn from his sleeve.

"Louis!" she murmured in a tired baby's voice, after a few moments.

He thought: "It's a good thing I didn't go out, and I'm glad Mrs.
Tarns isn't here blundering about."

"You're better?" he said mildly.

She raised her arms and clasped him, dragging him to her with a force
that was amazing under the circumstances. They kissed; their faces
were merged for a long time. Then she pushed him a little away, and,
guarding his shoulders with her hands, examined his face, and smiled
pathetically.

"Call me Louise," she whispered.

"Silly little thing! Shall I get you some water?"

"Call me Louise!"

"Louise!"

CHAPTER XIX

RACHEL AND MR. HORROCLEAVE

I

The next morning, Sunday, Rachel had a fancy to superintend in person
the boiling of Louis' breakfast egg. For a week past Louis had not
been having his usual breakfast, but on this morning the ideal
life was recommencing in loveliest perfection for Rachel. The usual
breakfast was to be resumed; and she remembered that in the past the
sacred egg had seldom, if ever, been done to a turn by Mrs. Tams. Mrs.
Tams, indeed, could not divide a minute into halves, and was apt
to regard a preference for a certain consistency in a boiled egg as
merely finicking and negligible. To Mrs. Tams a fresh egg was a fresh
egg, and there was no more to be said.

Rachel entered the kitchen like a radiance. She was dressed with
special care, rather too obviously so, in order that she might be
worthy to walk by Louis' side to church. She was going with him to
church gladly, because he had rented the pew and she desired to please
him by an alert gladness in subscribing to his wishes; it was not
enough