"Ah, that is charming!" said she. "You have told them you are stopping?" "But I am not. I must get back to-night." Marie felt and knew that the words were wrung from him, that they had been difficult to speak. But, well as she knew it, Jim knew it infinitely better. His tongue, so to speak, he had to tie like a galley-slave to its oar, and it made its monotonous strokes, which, unwilling as they were and mutinously inclined, yet moved the vessel towards its safety in harbour. Then a pause which both dreaded was broken by the crisp sound of the trodden terrace, and the servant again approached Marie. "Which room shall I put Mr. Spencer's things in, my lady?" he asked, and again the commonplace words had a hideous momentousness. The temptation in her mind to give him merely the number of a room was almost overwhelming, for she felt morally certain that, had she done so, Jim would have said nothing. Furthermore, Jack had suggested his coming, and within herself she bore the conscious witness of her own rectitude. Only--and this was the reason for her decision--she knew that her desire that he should stop, that events should then take their course, was stronger than could have been accounted for by her desire to have a companion at dinner, even the most desirable, and a companion during her journey the next day. Further, he had come down here with the intention of stopping. But her purpose held. "Mr. Spencer will go back to-night," she said. "But you will stop for dinner, Jim!" "Thanks. I should like to. There is a train back at nine." "Then, we must dine at eight instead of half-past. Let us have dinner on the terrace. We often dine there when it is warm." The man took the tea-tray and retired with it. Then Jim leaned forward in his chair. "Thank you," he said to Marie. Again her hands so trembled that she had to catch hold of both arms of her chair, lest it should be apparent. And her voice, as she felt to her rebellious impotence, shook as she answered. "For the dinner?" she said. "Indeed it will not be much, Jim--soup and a cutlet, I expect."