CHAPTER VII

Mr. Chalk made but a poor breakfast next morning, the effort to display a
feeling of proper sympathy with Mrs. Chalk, who was presiding in gloomy
silence at the coffee-pot, and at the same time to maintain an air of
cheerful innocence as to the cause of her behaviour, being almost beyond
his powers. He chipped his egg with a painstaking attempt to avoid
noise, and swallowed each mouthful with a feeble pretence of not knowing
that she was watching him as he ate. Her glance conveyed a scornful
reproach that he could eat at all in such circumstances, and, that there
might be no mistake as to her own feelings, she ostentatiously pushed the
toast-rack and egg-stand away from her.

"You--you're not eating, my dear," said Mr. Chalk.

"If I ate anything it would choke me," was the reply.

Mr. Chalk affected surprise, but his voice quavered. To cover his
discomfiture he passed his cup up for more coffee, shivering despite
himself, as he noticed the elaborate care which Mrs. Chalk displayed in
rinsing out the cup and filling it to the very brim. Beyond raising her
eyes to the ceiling when he took another piece of toast, she made no
sign.

[Illustration: "He passed his cup up for more coffee."]

"You're not looking yourself," ventured Mr. Chalk, after a time.