fell in love with her. Don't answer, please! There's nothing to say. I wanted to tell you that. I've felt so about—it almost from the first."
"Oh, God!" he said again, half under his breath.
They had moved away from the front door, as they talked, but now Miss Ricardo hastily walked through a long open window, which led into a room unmistakably a drawing-room. "May we go in here?" she threw over her shoulder, brightly, as if she had not heard the stifled cry of the man's soul.
He followed, without speaking, but the look on his stricken face made her ask by way of changing the subject: "Who is Miss Verney? I don't remember Maud's writing about her; but then Maud writes so seldom, and only puts into her letters what she thinks the most important things. Is Miss Verney important? Your footman wanted to call her down to see me, but I wouldn't let him."
"Yes, Miss Verney is important, in this house, anyhow," Sir Ian answered.
"Shall I see her?"
"You mean you want her to come in?"
"Why not? Yes, I should like to see her, if she's a nice girl."
"She is a very nice girl—though not very cheerful just now. She's had a lot of trouble." Sir Ian spoke as if he had been wound up to speak, like an automaton. And like an automaton he went to the bell and rang it.
