nough as it was, his
foot made such a bumping noise; it was worse than ever to-night, I
thought."

For the same reason, though she had felt uncomfortable at being hidden
away in there, she had not cared to refuse to stay: it seemed to make
too much of the thing. Besides, she hoped some other couple would join
them. But

"But, Mary...!" broke from Mahony; he was blank and bewildered.

Purdy, however, had got up after a moment or two and shut the door. And
then--"Oh, it's no use, Richard, I can't tell you!" said poor Mary. "I
don't know how to get the words over my lips. I think I've never felt
so ashamed in all my life." And, worn out by the worry and excitement
she had gone through, and afraid, in advance, of what she had still to
face, Mary began to cry.

Mahony stood still; let her arm drop. "Do you mean me to understand,"
he demanded, as if unable to believe his ears: "to understand that
Purdy... dared to... that he dared to behave to you in any but a--" And
since Mary was using her pocket-handkerchief and could not reply: "Good
God! Has the fellow taken leave of his senses? Is he mad? Was he drunk?
Answer me! What does it all mean?" And Mary still continuing silent, he
threw off the hand she had replaced on his arm. "Then you must walk
home alone. I'm going back to get at the truth of this."

But Mary clung to him. "No, no, you must hear the whole story first."
Anything rather than let him return to the hall. Yes, at first she
thought he really had gone mad. "I can't tell you what I felt, Richard
... knowing it was Purdy--just Purdy. To see him like that--looking so
horrible--and to have to listen to the dreadful things he said! Yes,
I'm sure he had had too too much to drink. His breath smelt so." She
had tried to pull away her hands; but he had held her, had put his arms
round her.

At the anger she felt racing through her husband she tightened her
grip, stringing meanwhile phrase to phrase with the sole idea of
getting him safely indoors. Not till they were shut in the bedroom did
she give the most humiliating detail of any: how, while she was still
struggling to free herself from Purdy's embrace, the door had opened
and Mr. Grindle looked in. "He drew back at once, of course. But it was
awful, Richard! I turned cold. It seemed to give me more strength,
though. I pulled myself away and got out of the room, I don't know how.
My wreath was falling off. My dress was crumpled. Nothing would have
made me go bac