Edith went to meet him in the hall. Although he came in with his key, he invariably rang the bell, so that the maid could take his coat and stick. 'Hallo, Edith,' he said, in a rather sober tone. 'How are you? And where is Madame Frabelle?' CHAPTER XXVI Bruce came in with a rather weary air, and sat down by the fire. Madame Frabelle was presiding at the tea-table. 'How are you feeling, Bruce?' Edith asked. 'Oh, pretty rotten. I had a very bad night. How are you, Madame Frabelle?' 'Oh, very well. Tea?' 'Poor Bruce!' said Edith kindly. 'Oh, and poor Madame Frabelle,' she added, with a smile. Bruce gave Madame Frabelle a slightly reproachful look as he took a cup of tea from her. 'I've been telling Edith,' said that lady in a quiet, dignified way. 'What about?' 'About last night,' said Madame Frabelle, passing Bruce the buttered toast without looking at him, as if avoiding his glance. 'I'm really very much ashamed of it,' said Bruce. 'You can't think how kind she was to me, Edith.' 'I'm sure she was,' said Edith. 'Oh, you won't have a bad night like that again,' said Madame Frabelle cheerily. 'I'm sure I hope not.' He gave a dark, despairing look, and sighed. 'Upon my word, if it hadn't been for her I don't know what I would have done.' He shook his head and stroked his back hair. Suddenly Edith felt intensely bored. Madame Frabelle and Bruce were looking at each other with such intense sympathy, and she knew they would repeat in different words what they had said already. They were so certain to go over the same ground again and again!... Edith felt she was not wanted. But that didn't annoy her. She was merely thinking of an excuse to get away from them. 'By the way, how's Aylmer, Edith?' asked Bruce. 'Getting on well. I believe he's been ordered out of town.' 'To the seaside? For God's sake don't let him go to the east coast!' 'The east coast is quite as safe as any other part of England, _I_ think.' said Madame Frabelle. 'Oh, he'll take his chance,' Edith replied. 'I expect he'll miss _you_, my dear,' said Bruce. 'You've been so jolly good to him lately.' 'Naturally,' said Madame Frabelle, a little quickly, very smoothly, and with what Edith thought unnecessary tact. 'Naturally. Anyone so kind-hearted as Edith would be sure to try and cheer up the convalescence of a wounded friend. Have a _foie-gras_ sandwich, Edith?' Edith felt an almost irresistible desire to laugh at something in the hospitable, almost patronising tone of her guest. 'Oh, Edith likes going to see him,' said Bruce to Madame Frabelle. 'So do I, if it comes to that. We're all fond of old Aylmer, you know.' 'I know. I quite understand. You're great friends. Personally, I think Mr Ross has behaved splendidly.' Madame Frabelle said this with an air of self-control and scrupulous justice. 'You don't care very much about him, I fancy,' said Bruce with the air of having made a subtle discovery.