Madame de Treymes made no audible response to this request, but when
the door had closed on the other ladies she said, looking quietly at
Durham: "I don't think that, in this house, your time will hang so
heavy that you need my help in supporting it."

Durham met her glance frankly. "It was not for that reason that
Madame de Malrive asked you to remain with me."

"Why, then? Surely not in the interest of preserving appearances,
since she is safely upstairs with your sister?"

"No; but simply because I asked her to. I told her I wanted to speak
to you."

"How you arrange things! And what reason can you have for wanting to
speak to me?"

He paused for a moment. "Can't you imagine? The desire to thank you
for what you have done."

She stirred restlessly, turning to adjust her hat before the glass
above the mantelpiece.

"Oh, as for what I have done--!"

"Don't speak as if you regretted it," he interposed.

She turned back to him with a flash of laughter lighting up the
haggardness of her face. "Regret working for the happiness of two