"You don't dislike the smoke?"

"If I did, I should say so."

Having removed her outer garments one by one, she rose and took them
into the inner room. On reappearing, she went to the sitting-room
door and turned the key in the lock.

"Could you let me have some more books to read?" she asked.

"I have brought one, thinking you might be ready for it."

It was "Jane Eyre." She glanced over the pages eagerly.

"I don't know how it is," she said, "I have grown so hungry for
reading of late. Till just now I never cared for it. When I was a
child and went to school, I didn't like my lessons. Still I learned
a good deal, for a little girl, and it has stayed by me. And oh, it
seems so long ago! Never mind, perhaps I will tell you all about
that some day."

They were together for an hour or so. Waymark, uneasily watching his
companion's every movement, rose as soon as she gave sign of
weariness, and Ida did not seek to detain him.

"I shall think much of you," he said.

"The less the better," was Ida's reply.