ld have used otherwise.

When would Jim return? How long would she have to wait?

She had told Robinson to take a tray of refreshments for the Warden into
the library. Now that she was alone in the drawing-room she would have
the tray brought in here. When Jim did come in, she would have to
approach her subject gradually. She must be as wily as a serpent--wily,
when her pulses were beating and her head was aching? It would be more
easy and natural for her to begin talking here than to go into the
library and force him into conversation after the day's work was done.
Yet the matter must be thrashed out at once. She could not go about with
Belinda's letter announcing the engagement and yet pretend that she knew
nothing about it. Gwendolen probably knew that her mother had written;
or if she didn't already know, would very likely know by the morning's
post.

She rang the bell, and when Robinson appeared, she told him to bring the
tray in, instead of taking it to the library.

"When the Warden comes in, tell him the tray is here," she said. Oh, how
the last few minutes dragged! It was some distraction to have Robinson
coming in and putting the tray down on the wrong table, and to be able
to tell him the right table and the most suitable chair to accompany it.
Then, when he had gone and all was ready, she chose a chair for herself.
Not too near and not too far. She had Belinda's letter safe? Yes, it was
here! She was ready, she was prepared. She was going to do something
more difficult than anything she had experienced in her life, because so
much depended on it, so much; and a great emotion is not easy to hide,
it takes one's breath sometimes, it makes one's voice harsh, or
indistinct, or worse still, it suddenly benumbs the brain, and thoughts
go astray and tangle themselves, and all one's power of argument, all
one's grip of the situation, goes.

And the minutes passed slowly and still more slowly. When at last she
heard sounds on the stairs, the blood rushed to her cheeks and her hands
became as cold as ice. That was a bad beginning! She went to the door
and opened it. He had come in and had gone into the library. She called
out to him to come into the drawing-room. She heard his voice answer
"Coming!" She left the door open and went back to her chair, the chair
she had chosen, and she stood by it, waiting, looking at the open door.

He came in. He looked all round the room, and closed the door behind
him.

"All