“Oh, my Lady! I never realised at first. I could only say: Oh my lad, what did you want to leave me for!⁠—That was all my cry. But somehow I felt he’d come back.”

“But he didn’t want to leave you,” said Connie.

“Oh, no, my Lady! That was only my silly cry. And I kept expecting him back. Especially at nights. I kept waking up thinking: Why he’s not in bed with me!⁠—It was as if my feelings wouldn’t believe he’d gone. I just felt he’d have to come back and lie against me, so I could feel him with me. That was all I wanted, to feel him there with me, warm. And it took me a thousand shocks before I knew he wouldn’t come back, it took me years.”

“The touch of him,” said Connie.