He wished she would remove those fingers and stop staring at him so discomfortably. When at last she did so, it was to reveal a countenance whose expression he was at a loss to read. Her face certainly wasn’t blubbered with crying; but it was flushed and disturbed. The impression he really got from it was of something⁠ ⁠… almost indecent!

He glanced furtively round, and, hurriedly extending his arm, touched one of her wrists.

“You must have known I’d find out sooner or later,” he said. “It doesn’t matter, my knowing, does it? He couldn’t mind. He’d be glad, I should think.” And he gave an awkward little chuckle, as he released her hand and began fumbling for a cigarette.

He had only just succeeded in finding the small packet for which he was searching, when he caught Miss Gault’s eyes lit up in excited recognition.