r," she added,
having to raise her voice a little, and shutting the door upon the rest
of her words.

Mary mounted the stairs step by step, as if she had to lift her body up
an extremely steep ascent. She had had to wrench herself forcibly
away from Katharine, and every step vanquished her desire. She held
on grimly, encouraging herself as though she were actually making some
great physical effort in climbing a height. She was conscious that Mr.
Basnett, sitting at the top of the stairs with his documents, offered
her solid footing if she were capable of reaching it. The knowledge gave
her a faint sense of exaltation.

Mr. Basnett raised his eyes as she opened the door.

"I'll go on where I left off," he said. "Stop me if you want anything
explained."

He had been re-reading the document, and making pencil notes in the
margin while he waited, and he went on again as if there had been
no interruption. Mary sat down among the flat cushions, lit another
cigarette, and listened with a frown upon her face.

Katharine leant back in the corner of the cab that carried her to
Chelsea, conscious of fatigue, and conscious, too, of the sober and
satisfactory nature of such industry as she had just witnessed. The
thought of it composed and calmed her. When she reached home she let
herself in as quietly as she could, in the hope that the household was
already gone to bed. But her excursion had occupied less time than she
thought, and she heard sounds of unmistakable liveliness upstairs. A
door opened, and she drew herself into a ground-floor room in case the
sound meant that Mr. Peyton were taking his leave. From where she stood
she could see the stairs, though she was herself invisible. Some one was
coming down the stairs, and now she saw that it was William Rodney. He
looked a little strange, as if he were walking in his sleep; his lips
moved as if he were acting some part to himself. He came down very
slowly, step by step, with one hand upon the banisters to guide himself.
She thought he looked as if he were in some mood of high exaltation,
which it made her uncomfortable to witness any longer unseen. She
stepped into the hall. He gave a great start upon seeing her and
stopped.

"Katharine!" he exclaimed. "You've been out?" he asked.

"Yes.... Are they still up?"

He did not answer, and walked into the ground-floor room through the
door which stood open.

"It's been more wonderful than I can tell you," he said, "I'm in