g across his face, his eyes fixed like an animal's, then drew
the door steadily towards him. And suddenly some power that had held him
tense seemed to fail. He thrust out his head, and, his face quivering
with fear and loathing, spat defiance as if in a passion of triumph into
the gloom.

Still muttering, he shut the door and turned the key. In another moment
his light was gleaming out on the grey perturbed face and black narrow
shoulders of his visitor.

'You gave me quite a fright,' said the old man almost angrily; 'have you
hurt your foot, or something?'

'It was very dark,' said Lawford, 'down the stairs.'

'What!' said Mr Bethany still more angrily, blinking out of his
unspectacled eyes; 'has she cut off the gas, then?'

'You got the note?' said Lawford, unmoved.

'Yes, yes; I got the note.... Gone?'

'Oh, yes; all gone. It was my choice. I preferred it so.'

Mr Bethany sat down on one of the hard old wooden chairs that stood on
either side of the lofty hall, and breathing rather thickly, rested his
hands on his knees. 'What's happened?' he inquired, looking up into the
candle. 'I forgot my glasses, old fool that I am, and can't, my dear
fellow, see you very plainly. But your voice--'

'I think,' said Lawford, 'I think it's beginning to come back.'

'What, the whole thing! Oh no, my dear, dear man; be frank with me; not
the whole thing?'

'Yes,' said Lawford, 'the whole thing--very, very gradually,
imperceptibly. I think even Sheila noticed. But I rather feel it than
see it; that is all.... I'm cornering him.'

'Him?'

Lawford jerked his candle as if towards some definite goal. 'In time,'
he said.

The two faces with the candle between them seemed as it were to gain
light each from the other.

'Well, well,' said Mr Bethany, 'every man for himself, Lawford; it's the
only way. But what's going to be done? We must be cautious; must think
of--of the others?'

'Oh, that,' said Lawford; 'she's going to squeeze me out.'

'You've--squabbled? Oh, but my dear, honest old, HONEST old idiot, there
are scores of families here in this parish, within a stone's throw, that
squabble, wrangle, all but politely tear each other's eyes out, every
day of their earthly lives. It's perfectly natural. Where should we poor
old busybodies be else. Peace on earth we bring, and it's mainly between
husband and wife.'

'Yes,' said Lawford, 'but you see, this was not our earthly life. It was
between US.'

'Listen, listen