When he had given the news to the family he went aside from the group in
the garden to where Beatrice Atherton was sitting below the Jesu tree,
with work on her lap.

He had noticed as he talked that she was sitting there, and had raised
his voice for her benefit. He fancied, and with a pleasure at the
delicate instinct, that she did not wish to appear as intimately
interested in the news from the Tower as those who had a better right to
be. He was always detecting now faint shades in her character, as he
knew her better, that charmed and delighted him.

She was doing some mending, and only glanced up and down again without
ceasing or moving, as Ralph stood by her.

"I thought you never used the needle," he began in a moment.

"It is never too late to mend," she said, without the faintest movement.

Ralph felt again an odd prick of happiness. It gave him a distinct
thrill of delight that she would make such an answer and so swiftly; and
at such a time, when tragedy was round her and in her heart, for he knew
how much she loved the man from whom he had just come.

He sat down on the garden chair opposite, and watched her fingers and
the movements of her wrist as she passed the needle in and out, and
neither spoke again till the others had dispersed.

"You heard all I said?" said Ralph at last.

She bowed her head without answering.