dn't make them stop.

What nonsense to be so agitated. Nobody could remember the name from
that evening, weeks and weeks ago. And what if they did? What could they
make of it?

It seemed to her that dusk had fallen in the garden. Where was that
lucent sunset air?

She heard Eugenia's voice going on, and Neale chiming in with a laugh,
and did not understand what they said. Surely everybody must have
forgotten.

She hazarded a quick glance at Mr. Welles' face and drew a long breath
of relief. He had forgotten, that was evident. She looked beyond him to
Marsh. He too would certainly have forgotten.

He was waiting for her eyes. And when they met his, she felt the
lightning flash. He had not forgotten.

II

Marsh suddenly found it unbearable. He wasn't used to keeping the curb
on himself like this, and he hadn't the least intention of learning how
to do it. A fierce, physical irritability overcame him, and he stopped
short in the hall, just because he could not stand the silly chatter
that was always flowing from these silly people about their foolish
affairs. If they only knew what he was leaving unsaid!

He had not meant to make Marise halt, too, his movement having been a
mere unconsidered reflex, but of course she did stop, apparently
surprised by the brusqueness of his action, and faced him there in the
dusky hall-way. She was so close to him that he could see every detail
of her face and person, just as he could at night when he closed his
eyes; so close that for an instant he felt her breath on his face. He
ground his teeth, minded, that instant, to throw down the trumpery
little wall of convention. It couldn't stand, he knew with an
experienced certainty of his own power that it couldn't stand for an
instant against him. The day he chose to put his shoulder to it, down it
would go in a heap of rubble.

But the wall was not all. Usually it was all. But with this woman it was
nothing, a mere accident. Beyond it she stood, valid, and looked at him
out of those long eyes of hers. _What was in her mind?_ She looked at
him now, quietly, just as usual, made some light casual remark, and
effortlessly, as though she had some malign and invincible charm, she
had passed from out his power again, and was walking with that straight,
sure tread of hers, down to the door.

If he could have done it, he would have struck at her from behind.

He could get no hold on her, could not take the first step. All during
thos