"Good night," he said in a low voice, and then, without turning towards them, he went out of the room. The door was closed. The two women moved, looked at each other, and then glanced at the bed. Gwen was lying still; she had slid down low on her pillows, with her face towards the windows and her eyes closed. They stood motionless and intent, till they could see in the dim light that the girl was breathing quietly and slowly in sleep. Then Lady Dashwood spoke in a whisper. "Now, I suppose, I can go to bed!" Then she looked round at May. "Go to bed, May! You look worn out." "Shall you sleep?" whispered May Dashwood, but she spoke as if she wasn't listening for an answer. "I don't know," said Lady Dashwood, in a whisper too. "It's so like life. The person who has made all the fuss is comfortably asleep, and we who have had to endure the fuss, we who are worn out with it, are awake and probably won't sleep." May moved towards the door and her aunt followed her. When May opened the door and went outside, Lady Dashwood did not close the door or say good night. She stood for a moment undecided, and then came outside herself and pulled the door to softly behind her. "May!" she said, and she laid a detaining hand on her niece's arm. "What, Aunt Lena?" "If he liked, he could repel her, make her dislike him! If he liked he could make her refuse to marry him! You understand what I mean? He must know this now. The idea will be in his mind. He'll think it over. But I've no hope. He won't act on it. He'll only think of it as a temptation that he must put aside." May did not answer. "He could," said Lady Dashwood; "but he won't. He thinks himself pledged. And he isn't even in love with her. He isn't even infatuated for the moment!" "You can't be sure." "I am sure," said Lady Dashwood. "How?" And now May turned back and listened for an answer with downcast eyes. "I asked him a question--which he refused to answer. If he were in love he would have answered it eagerly. Why, he would have forced me to listen to it." May Dashwood moved away from her aunt. "Still--they are engaged," she said. "They are engaged--that is settled." Lady Dashwood spoke in a low, detaining voice. "Wait, May! Somehow she has got hold of him--somehow. Often the weak victimise the strong. Those who clamour for what they want, get it. Every day the wise are sacrificed to fools. I know it, and yet I sleep in peace. But when Jim is to be sacrificed--I can't sleep. I am like a withered leaf, blown by the wind." May took her aunt's arm and laid her cheek against her shoulder.