"There's no moon up yet," Sally told him, not moving. "You stay where you are. Stay nice and warm in bed. I shall be all right. I'll go for a walk along the avenue by myself." "And be f ... frightened again." "Shan't wait to be frightened," Sally said. "See me dart back!" Gaga fondled her hand and reached for the other one, which she patiently yielded. "You ... you're so nice," he murmured. "So good to me." "I? Good?" Sally's shoulders were hoisted. She almost withdrew her hands. "Yes. But Sally.... I...." He was overcome, and could not proceed. Tears had started to his eyes. "I haven't been sleeping. I've been thinking. Last night...." "Last night!" Sally convulsively jerked her hands away, and as quickly restored them. "You thought I'd ... I'd ... been ... been spying." "Of course you weren't. I was ill. I was a beast." "Sally, I never did. You ... you have a lot.... I've been thinking ... a lot to put up with. Marrying a ... a sick man; and you...." Sally could not bear him to talk thus. She freed herself, and rose. "Here's a lot of talk!" she protested. "You get well, old son. Then we'll see." Gaga did not say anything for a moment. At last he spoke again. "Sally, would you ... would you mind very much if I did ... didn't get well?" he asked. "Course I should!" But Sally was filled with alarm at this conversation. She turned upon Gaga, but she could not meet his soft eyes. "Here, you're talking silly!" "Sally.... I.... I wasn't spying," said Gaga, slowly. "But I.... I _did_ see a man at the gate last night." Sally clutched the back of a chair. For a moment she thought she must be going to faint. Then, with a tremendous effort, she controlled herself. "What d'you mean?" she demanded. "Behind you. _With_ you." "Never!" Gaga continued to regard her. His smile was no longer visible. She only noticed that he was paler, that his nostrils were pinched and his eyes dark. "I wish you'd tell me the truth," he said. "I tell you there was nobody _with_ me," lied Sally. "Nobody. There may have been a man behind me. I _did_ get a bit of a start. Somebody came out of a gate. I didn't notice." "Sally.... I.... I heard him call you 'Sally.'" She was stricken with terror at his quietness. "Nobody called me Sally!" she cried. "I don't _know_ anybody." Gaga sighed, and his head fell sideways, so that he no longer looked at her. They spoke no more. She believed that he knew she had been lying; but she had been caught unawares, and could not retract her assertions. Without a further word she began to prepare a basin of water, and washed herself. Then she went to ask that tea might be brought to the bedroom. They drank the tea in silence, both very grave. When they had finished, Sally took the tray to the end of the passage, where there was a projecting ledge, and then returned to the room. "Shall I go and sing to you?" she asked. "Not ... not now. Go for your wa ... walk. I shan't have any dinner. I'll just have a cup of cocoa."