It was the latter unpleasant belief that prevailed, without possibility of mistake, in the course of the next few days. Whenever the doctor was in the house, Mrs. Woolley made a point of remaining at his side, and during the hours when he was in the surgery she kept Elsie employed with the children, every now and then coming to look in on her with excuses that were always transparently flimsy. The tension in the atmosphere pervaded the whole house. At last one afternoon, when Gladys and Sonnie were at school, and Mrs. Woolley in the drawing-room with an unexpected caller, Elsie and the doctor met upon the stairs. She knew that she was looking her worst, strained and overwrought, and with the odd Japanese aspect of her eyes and cheek-bones intensified. Even her hair felt limp and unresilient. She looked at the doctor rather piteously, envisaging to herself her own unprepossessing appearance, and wishing that she had at least powdered her face recently. “Where’s Amy?” “In the drawing-room, with a lady visitor.” “Thank God! I’ve been hag-ridden for the last week. What the devil’s up, Elsie?” “I don’t know,” she murmured. “At least, I know Mrs. Woolley’s been horrid to me lately, that’s all.” “She has, has she?” he muttered furiously. “Here--come in here.” He drew her into the shelter of the nearest doorway. “Elsie, I’m mad about you. This sort of thing can’t go on--it’s simply hell.” “Oh, hush, someone’ll hear....” “I don’t care who hears!” But he lowered his voice. “I haven’t had a kiss from you for days--quick_!_” Their lips met. “You dear little girl! Is she being a beast to you?” Elsie, in his embrace, started violently. “_Someone coming upstairs!_” she hissed. He stood motionless to listen, waited a second too long, and then sharply shut the door. “Florrie!” Elsie whispered in a frightened voice. “Did she see us?” “No, no--not a chance. Or, if she did, she only saw me. She won’t think anything of that.” “She’s gone upstairs--I must go.” “No, don’t. I tell you it’s all right. Hang it, Elsie, when am I going to get a word with you again?” “Oh, I don’t know. I think I shall go home again.” She was half crying. “Elsie, d’you know Amy’s going out to-morrow night? She’s going to see her friend, that Williams woman, who’s ill.” “What, the one that was at mother’s place?” “Yes--yes--but they’re in their own house now. It’ll take her all the evening to get there and back, pretty nearly.” “She won’t go.” “Yes, she will. I shall tell her I’m going off to a case at Roehampton or somewhere, and that I shan’t be back till late.” “Oh, don’t. It simply isn’t safe.” “It’s quite safe, you little fool. You and me have got to come to an understanding, I can’t stand this life another minute. Look here, we’ll go out somewhere together.” “No, no! That’d be much worse. Sonnie always wakes up, and he’ll scream himself into a fit if I’m not there, and then Florrie would know----”