it and said it kindly--but, instead of looking at her while he
spoke, he continued to look at the view. A woman sure of her
position would not have allowed this trifling circumstance, even
if she had observed it, to disturb her. Sydney thought of the day
in London when he had persisted in looking out at the street, and
returned in silence to her chair.

Had he been so unfortunate as to offend her? And in what way? As
that doubt occurred to Herbert his mind turned to Catherine.
_She_ never took offense at trifles; a word of kindness from him,
no matter how unimportant it might be, always claimed
affectionate acknowledgment in the days when he was living with
his wife. In another moment he had dismissed that remembrance,
and could trust himself to return to Sydney.

"If you find that Sandyseal confirms your first impression," he
said, "let me know it in time, so that I may make arrangements
for a longer stay. I have only taken the rooms here for a
fortnight."

"Thank you, Herbert; I think a fortnight will be long enough."

"Long enough for you?" he asked.

Her morbid sensitiveness mistook him again; she fancied there was
an undernote of irony in his tone.

"Long enough for both of us," she replied.

He drew a chair to her side. "Do you take it for granted," he