I felt as if there was some evil imp laughing in the room--There was nothing to be said or done. I could not curse aloud--so I simply took the letter, put it with Daisy Ryven's--and indicated that I was waiting for the next one to be handed to me--So Alathea continued her work.--But could anything be more maddening--more damnably provoking!--and inopportune--Why must the shadow of Suzette fall upon me all the time?-- This of course will make any renewal of even the coldest friendliness impossible, between my little girl and me--. I cannot ask her to marry me now, and perhaps not for a long time, if ever the chance comes to me again, in any case. Her attitude, carriage of head, and expression of mouth, showed contempt, as she finished the short-hand notes. And then she rose and went into the other room to type, closing the door after her. And I lay there shivering with rage and chagrin. I saw no more of Alathea that morning--She had her lunch in the sitting-room alone, and Burton brought the dishes in to me, and after luncheon he insisted that I should sleep for an hour until half-past two o'clock. He had some accounts for Miss Sharp to do, he said. I was so exhausted that when I did fall asleep I slept until nearly four--and awoke with a start and an agony of apprehension that she might have gone--but no--Burton said she was still there when I rang for him--and I asked her to come in again--. We went over one of the earlier chapters in the book and I made some alterations in it; she never showed the slightest interest, nor did she speak--; she merely took down what I told her to--. "Do you think that will do now?" I asked when it was complete. "Yes." Tea came in then for us both.--She poured it out, still without uttering a word--she remembered my taste of no sugar or milk, and put the cup near me so that I could reach it. She handed me the plate of those nasty make-believe biscuits, which is all we can get now--then she drank her own tea. The atmosphere had grown so tense it was supremely uncomfortable. I felt that I must break the ice. "How I wish there was a piano here," I remarked _à propos_ of nothing--and of course she greeted this, with her usual silence. "I am feeling so rotten if I could hear some music it would make me better." She made the faintest movement with her head, to show me I suppose that she was listening respectfully, but saw no occasion to reply. I felt so unspeakably wretched and helpless and useless lying there, I had not the pluck to go on trying to talk, so I closed my eye and lay still, and then I heard Alathea rise and softly go towards the door--. "I will type this at home--and return it to the flat on Tuesday if that will be all right," she said--and: I answered: