It was after all a momentary affair. Annabel passed on with a strained
nod to her sister, and Sir John's bow was a miracle of icy
displeasure. They vanished through the doorway. Anna and her escort
exchanged glances. Almost simultaneously they burst out laughing.
"How do you feel?" she asked.
"Limp," he answered. "As a matter of fact, I deserve to. I was engaged
to dine with your sister and her husband, and I sent a wire."
"It was exceedingly wrong of you," Anna declared. "Before I came to
England I was told that there were two things which an Englishman who
was _comme-il-faut_ never did. The first was to break a dinner
engagement."
"And the second?"
"Make love to a single woman."
"Your knowledge of our ways," he murmured "is profound. Yet, I suppose
that at the present moment I am the most envied man in the room."
Her eyes were lit with humour. To have spoken lightly on such a
subject a few hours ago would have seemed incredible.
"But you do not know," she whispered, "whether I am a married woman or
not. There is Mr. Montague Hill."
The lights were lowered, and an attentive waiter hovered round Anna's
cloak. They left the room amongst the last, and Ennison had almost to
elbow his way through a group of acquaintances who had all some
pretext for detaining him, to which he absolutely refused to listen.
They entered a hansom and turned on to the Embankment. The two great
hotels on their right were still ablaze with lights. On their left the
river, with its gloomy pile of buildings on the opposite side, and a
huge revolving advertisement throwing its strange reflection upon the
black water. A fresh cool breeze blew in their faces. Anna leaned back
with half closed eyes.
"Delicious!" she murmured.
His fingers closed upon her hand. She yielded it without protest, as
though unconsciously. Not a word passed between them. It seemed to him
that speech would be an anticlimax.
He paid the cab, and turned to follow her. She passed inside and
upstairs without a word. In her little sitting-room she turned on the
electric light and looked around half fearfully.
"Please search everywhere," she said. "I am going through the other
rooms. I shall not let you go till I am quite sure."
"If he has a key," Ennison said, "how are you to be safe?"
"I had bolts fitted on the doors yesterday," she answered. "If he is
not here now I can make myself safe."
It was certain that he was not there. Anna came back into the
sitting-room with a little sigh of relief.
"Indeed," she said, "it was very fortunate that I should have met you
this afternoon. Either Sydney or Mr. Brendon always comes home with
me, and to-night both are away. Mary is very good, but she is too
nervous to be the slightest protection."