Marie met her husband serenely at the breakfast-table next morning. She looked fair and fresh and had other things to do than to give him undivided attention. George and Minna were at table, behaving charmingly, though the baby, being yet at a sloppy stage, was taking her breakfast in the kitchen in deference to her father's return. Osborn paid his family some attention and his newspaper none; and he appeared to be in no hurry to be off. "My first morning back," he remarked; "I need hardly turn up punctually." "I suppose," said Marie, with interest, from behind her coffee-pot, "that your work will be rather different." "It will, rather. I believe I'm to put in some days in town, and then run down to our various agents in the Midlands. There's quite a busy programme mapped out, I believe." "You'll enjoy that." "Shall you go away again, Daddy?" asked Minna. "Don't talk at breakfast, dear," said her mother. Osborn looked across at his wife. "I shall be off your hands a good deal." Bitterness savoured his voice. She smiled at him sympathetically, but he smarted under the knowledge that her sympathy did not go very deep. Yet he was strangely reluctant to hurry away. He remained until George had started for school; until Minna had begged to be allowed to get down and go to see baby finish her breakfast. Then he rose, and went rather heavily round the table to his wife, and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I couldn't sleep. I was thinking of you and all the things you said last night." "I'm sorry you didn't sleep. I expect you were rather tired with travelling; over-tired, perhaps." "I was as fresh as paint when I got here yesterday and you know I was. _You_ took it out of me." "We shan't be able to argue about this every day; I couldn't stand it, Osborn." "I'm ready to say that I daresay we men are thoughtless sort of brutes; but you didn't marry one of the worst by a long chalk, you know." A smile twitched her lips, goading him to desperation. "No," she owned. "There was nothing lurid about you. But, heavens! it was dull!" He took his hand off her shoulder and went to search for matches and pipe on the mantelpiece. He noticed many little things acutely in his unhappiness; how nicely the silver vases were cleaned, and that the piperack was kept on the righthand side now instead of the left. "You'll come round." "If you knew how impossible it seems to me you wouldn't say that." "I suppose I shall be worrying over this business all day as well as all night?" "I hope not. I'm lunching with you, at one, at the Royal Red." "What! You'll come to lunch?" "You asked me." Pleasure, almost triumph, lit his face. "I'll give you a good time. Sure you wouldn't like some other place better than the Royal Red?" "I've got, somehow, a special ache for it." "Then you must have what you want, of course. I'll get away punctually, so as not to keep you waiting."