When I got to the
morning-room my hand was shaking so that I could scarcely turn
the handle; then, as the door opened, I could have cried out
with relief. Eve was there as well!"
"Eve?"
"Yes. I don't think I was ever so glad to see her in my
life." He laughed almost hysterically. "I was quite civil to
her, and she was--quite sweet to me--" Again he laughed.
Loder's lips tightened.
"You see, it saved the situation. Even if Lillian wanted to
be nasty, she couldn't, while Eve was there. We talked for
about ten minutes. We were quite an amiable trio. Then
Lillian told me why she'd called. She wanted me to make a
fourth in a theatre party at the 'Arcadian' to-night, and I
--I was so pleased and so relieved that I said yes!" He
paused and laughed again unsteadily.
In his tense anxiety, Loder ground his heel into the floor.
"Go on!" he said, fiercely. "Go on!"
"Don't!" Chilcote exclaimed. "I'm going on--I'm going on."
He passed his handkerchief across his lips. "We talked for
ten minutes or so, and then Lillian left.
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