e. There was an emotion in her face which lent it an expression he
had never seen there. Then, as he was turning over means by which he
could speak to her alone, she rose, and he was taken by surprise, for he
had counted on the fact that she would outstay Denham. His only chance,
then, of saying something to her in private, was to take her downstairs
and walk with her to the street. While he hesitated, however, overcome
with the difficulty of putting one simple thought into words when
all his thoughts were scattered about, and all were too strong for
utterance, he was struck silent by something that was still more
unexpected. Denham got up from his chair, looked at Katharine, and said:

"I'm going, too. Shall we go together?"

And before William could see any way of detaining him--or would it
be better to detain Katharine?--he had taken his hat, stick, and was
holding the door open for Katharine to pass out. The most that William
could do was to stand at the head of the stairs and say good-night. He
could not offer to go with them. He could not insist that she should
stay. He watched her descend, rather slowly, owing to the dusk of the
staircase, and he had a last sight of Denham's head and of Katharine's
head near together, against the panels, when suddenly a pang of acute
jealousy overcame him, and had he not remained conscious of the slippers
upon his feet, he would have run after them or cried out. As it was he
could not move from the spot. At the turn of the staircase Katharine
turned to look back, trusting to this last glance to seal their compact
of good friendship. Instead of returning her silent greeting, William
grinned back at her a cold stare of sarcasm or of rage.

She stopped dead for a moment, and then descended slowly into the court.
She looked to the right and to the left, and once up into the sky. She
was only conscious of Denham as a block upon her thoughts. She measured
the distance that must be traversed before she would be alone. But when
they came to the Strand no cabs were to be seen, and Denham broke the
silence by saying:

"There seem to be no cabs. Shall we walk on a little?"

"Very well," she agreed, paying no attention to him.

Aware of her preoccupation, or absorbed in his own thoughts, Ralph said
nothing further; and in silence they walked some distance along the
Strand. Ralph was doing his best to put his thoughts into such order
that one came before the rest, and the determination t