abruptness. And Mrs. Hannaford, a little hurt, left the room without
speaking.

He all but hastened after her, to apologise; but the irritable
impulse overcame him again, and he had to pace the room till his
nerves grew steady.

Very soon after it was dark he gave up the effort to read, and went
to bed. A good night's sleep restored him. He rose with the sun,
felt the old appetite for work, and when the breakfast bell rang had
redeemed more than three good hours. He was able now to face Miss
Derwent, or anyone else. Indeed, that young lady hardly came into
his mind before he met her downstairs. At the introduction he
behaved with his natural reserve, which had nothing, as a rule, of
awkwardness. Irene was equally formal, though a smile at the corner
of her lips half betrayed a mischievous thought. They barely spoke
to each other, and at table Irene took no heed of him.

But with the others she talked as brightly as usual, managing, none
the less, to do full justice to the meal. Miss Derwent's vigour of
mind and body was not sustained on air, and she never affected a
delicate appetite. There was still something of the healthy
schoolgirl in her manner. Otway glanced at her once or twice, but
immediately averted his eyes--with a slight frown, as if the light
had dazzled him.

She was talking of Finland, and mentioned the name of her father's
man-servant, Thibaut. It entered several times into the narrative,
and always with an approving epithet, the excellent Thibaut, the
brave Thibaut.