g the letter which he had so much
enjoyed beginning? The reason was that Katharine might, at any moment,
enter the room. The thought, implying his bondage to her, irritated him
acutely. It occurred to him that he would leave the letter lying open
for her to see, and he would take the opportunity of telling her that he
had sent his play to Cassandra for her to criticize. Possibly, but not
by any means certainly, this would annoy her--and as he reached the
doubtful comfort of this conclusion, there was a knock on the door and
Katharine came in. They kissed each other coldly and she made no apology
for being late. Nevertheless, her mere presence moved him strangely;
but he was determined that this should not weaken his resolution to make
some kind of stand against her; to get at the truth about her. He let
her make her own disposition of clothes and busied himself with the
plates.

"I've got a piece of news for you, Katharine," he said directly they sat
down to table; "I shan't get my holiday in April. We shall have to put
off our marriage."

He rapped the words out with a certain degree of briskness. Katharine
started a little, as if the announcement disturbed her thoughts.

"That won't make any difference, will it? I mean the lease isn't
signed," she replied. "But why? What has happened?"

He told her, in an off-hand way, how one of his fellow-clerks had broken
down, and might have to be away for months, six months even, in which
case they would have to think over their position. He said it in a way
which struck her, at last, as oddly casual. She looked at him. There was
no outward sign that he was annoyed with her. Was she well dressed? She
thought sufficiently so. Perhaps she was late? She looked for a clock.

"It's a good thing we didn't take the house then," she repeated
thoughtfully.

"It'll mean, too, I'm afraid, that I shan't be as free for a
considerable time as I have been," he continued. She had time to
reflect that she gained something by all this, though it was too soon to
determine what. But the light which had been burning with such intensity
as she came along was suddenly overclouded, as much by his manner as by
his news. She had been prepared to meet opposition, which is simple to
encounter compared with--she did not know what it was that she had
to encounter. The meal passed in quiet, well-controlled talk about
indifferent things. Music was not a subject about which she knew
anything, but she like