"Had you ever heard my husband preach till this morning?"

"No, never," Mailing answered. "I'm afraid I'm not a very regular
church-goer. I must congratulate you again on the music at St. Joseph's.
It is exceptional. Even at St. Anne's Soho--"

Almost brusquely she interrupted him. She was obviously in a highly
nervous condition; and scarcely able to control herself.

"Yes, yes, our music is always good, of course. So glad you liked it.
But what I want to say is that you haven't heard my husband preach this
morning."

Malling looked at her with curiosity, but without astonishment. He might
have acted a part with her as he had the previous day with her husband.
But, as he looked, he came to a rapid decision, to be more frank with the
woman than he had been with the man.

"You mean, of course, that your husband was not in his best vein," he
said. "I won't pretend that I didn't realize that."

"You didn't hear him at all. He wasn't himself--simply."

She sat down on a sofa and clasped her hands together.

"I cannot tell you what I was feeling," she added. "And he used to be so
full of self-confidence. It was his great gift. His self-confidence
carried him through everything. Nothing could have kept him back if--"