He smiled at her and closed his eyes. "Good night!" he murmured.
"Good night, dear!" she whispered back.
And then in the silence that followed she knew that he fell asleep.
Someone touched her shoulder, and she looked up. Burke was
standing by her side.
"You can leave him now," he said. "He won't wake."
He spoke very quietly, but she thought his face was stern. A faint
throb of misgiving went through her. She slipped her hand free and
rose.
She saw that Kieff had already gone, and for a moment she
hesitated. But Burke took her steadily by the arm, and led her
from the room.
"He won't wake," he reiterated. "You must have something to eat,"
They entered the sitting-room, and she saw with relief that Kieff
was not there either. The table was spread for luncheon, and Burke
led her to it.
"Sit down!" he said. "Never mind about Kieff! He can look after
himself."
She sat down in silence. Somehow she felt out of touch with Burke
at that moment. Her long vigil beside Guy seemed in some
inexplicable fashion to have cut her off from him. Or was it those
strange words that Kieff had uttered and which even yet were
running in her brain? Whatever it was, it prevented all intimacy
between them. They might have been chance-met strangers sitting at
the same board. He waited upon her as if he were thinking of other
things.
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