As he came to the study
window he saw Nanna behind her, going out of the room. His servants had
been watching him. Kate was frightened. Her voice fluttered in her throat
as she told him dinner was served.

He sat opposite his wife, with the little oblong table between them.
Twice, sometimes three times a day, as long as they both lived, they
would have to sit like that, separated, hostile, horribly conscious of
each other.

Anne talked about the Gardners, and he stared at her stupidly, with eyes
that were like heavy burning balls under his aching forehead. He ate
little and drank a good deal. Half an hour after dinner he followed her
to the drawing-room, dazed, not knowing clearly where he went.

Anne was seated at her writing-table. The place was strewn with papers.
She was absorbed in the business of her committee, working off five weeks
of correspondence in arrears.

He lay on the sofa and dozed, and she took no notice of him. He left the
room, and she did not hear him go out.

He went to the Hannays. They were out. He went on to the Ransomes and
found them there. He found Canon Wharton there, too, drinking whiskey and
soda.

"Here's Wallie," some one said. Mrs. Hannay (it _was_ Mrs. Hannay) gave a
cry of delight, and made a little rush at him which confused him. Ransome
poured out more whiskey, and gave it to him and to the Canon. The Canon
drank peg for peg with them, while he eyed Majendie austerely. He used to
drink peg for peg with Lawson Hannay, in the days when Hannay drank; now
he drank peg for peg with Majendie, eyeing him austerely.

Then the Hannays came between them. They closed round Majendie and hemmed
him in a corner, and kept him there talking to him. He had no clear idea
what they were saying or what he was saying to them; but their voices
were kind and they soothed him. Dick Ransome brought him more whiskey. He
refused it. He had a sort of idea that he had had enough, rather more, in
fact, than was quite good for him; and ladies were in the room. Ransome
pressed him, and Lawson Hannay said something to Ransome; he couldn't
tell what. He was getting drowsy and disinclined to answer when people
spoke to him. He wished they would let him alone.

Lawson Hannay put his hand on his shoulder, and said, "Come along with
us, Wallie," and he wished Lawson Hannay would let him alone. Mrs. Hannay
came and stooped over him and whispered things in his ear, and he tried
to rouse himself so far as to star