"Come along,
Sancie," he said, and went away without any more ceremony. She got up from
her chair, put her book down, having marked her place, and followed him
after a few minutes' meditation. Ingram's quarters were on the ground
floor of the house, as hers were, but in the opposite wing. She had two
rooms in the western arm of the E; the whole of the eastern was his.
He was at table when she came in and shut the door behind her, at a table
fairly naped, with fine glass, silver, and flowers upon it. There was
hothouse fruit, too, a melon, a little pyramid of strawberries in fig-
leaves. He was eating smoked salmon and bread and butter with appetite. By
his side, half empty, was a champagne glass. A pint bottle stood at his
elbow.
He hailed her gaily, with a jerk of his head, a "Come along," and a lifted
glass. Leaning back as she came on, watching and waiting for her, he
stretched out his left arm. She smiled rather conventionally, did not meet
his eyes, but came within reach. His arm encircled her, and drew her in.
"Well, my girl, well!" he said, glancing up, laughing, tempting her to
laugh. She looked down gently, blushing a little, and condescended to him,
stooped and brushed his forehead with her lips.
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