There is a time before the sun commits himself to setting--as he has done every day till now, and we all take it for granted he will do to-morrow--when the raw afternoon relents and the shadows lengthen over the land; an hour that is not sunset yet, but has begun to know what sunset means to do for roof and tree-top, and the high hills when a forecast of the night creeps round their bases; and also for the good looks of man and wench and beast, and even ugly girls. This hour had come, and with it the conviction that everybody was sure to be very late to-night, before Gwen, sitting beside the blind man on the sofa he had flouted as a couch, got a chance to turn the conversation her way--to groom the steed, so to speak, of Marcus Curtius for that appointment in the Forum. It came in a lull, consequent on the momentary dispersion of subject-matter by the recognition of Society's absence and its probable late recurrence. "I was so sorry yesterday, Mr. Torrens." A modulation of Gwen's tone was not done intentionally. It came with her wish to change the subject. "What for, then?" said Mr. Torrens, affecting a slight Irish accent with a purpose not quite clear to himself. It might have given his words their degree on a seriometer, granted the instrument. "Don't laugh at me, because I'm in earnest. I mean for being so unfeeling...." "Unfeeling?" "Yes. I don't think talking about it again can make it any worse. But I do want you to know that I only said it because I got caught--you know how words get their own way sometimes...." "But what?--why?--when? What words got their way this time?" "I'm almost sorry I've spoken, if you didn't notice it. Because then I'm such a fool for raking it up again.... Why, of course, when I pitched on those lines of yours. And any others would have done just as well...." "Lord 'a massy me!--as Mrs. Bailey says. 'The daughters of the Dream Witch'? What's the matter with _them_? _They're_ all right." "Oh yes--they're all right, no doubt. But I was thinking of.... Oh, I can't bear to talk about it!... Oh dear!--I wish I hadn't mentioned it...." "Yes, but _do_ mention it. Mention it again. Mention it lots of times. Besides, I know what you mean...." "What?" "The 'watchman sorrowing for the light,' of course! It seemed like me. Do you know it never crossed my mind in that connection?"