She leaned back in her chair, and again they
laughed together, but only for a moment, becoming
serious and very quiet almost instantly.

"I haven't thanked you for the roses," he said.

"Oh yes, you did. When you first looked at them!"

"So I did," he whispered. "I'm glad you saw.
To find them here took my breath away--and to
find you with them--"

"I brought them this morning, you know."

"Would you have come if you had not understood
why I failed yesterday?"

"Oh yes, I think so," she returned, the fine edge
of a smile upon her lips. "For a time last evening,
before I heard what had happened, I thought
you were too frightened a friend to bother about."

He made a little ejaculation, partly joyful, partly sad.

"And yet," she went on, "I think that I should
have come this morning, after all, even if you had
a poorer excuse for your absence, because, you
see, I came on business."