come and see me. And somehow, suddenly, at sight of him, the blank
was filled in. I remembered, in a flash, everything. I was quite calm,
though. Or I made myself seem so, for I wanted to know how the
collision had happened. My uncle told me that the engine-driver had
failed to see a signal because of the fog, and our train had crashed into a
goods-train.

"I didn't ask him about the people who were with me. You see,
there was no need to ask.

"Very gently my uncle began to tell me, but--I had begun to talk
strangely, I suppose. I remember the frightened look of my uncle's face,
and the nurse scolding him in whispers.

"After that, all a blur. It seems that I became very ill indeed, wasn't
expected to live.

"However, I live."

There was a long silence. Laider did not look at me, nor I at him.
The fire was burning low, and he watched it.

At length he spoke:

"You despise me. Naturally. I despise myself."

"No, I don't despise you; but--"

"You blame me." I did not meet his gaze. "You blame me," he
repeated.