He was just standing up from dinner and had his face
averted.
But he turned his heavy head and his bloodshot eyes upon his wife
and looked full at her.
"Doctor von Hauptmann," he said, "has ordered me to go to bed
immediately after dinner. My heart's much worse."
He continued to look at Leonora for a long minute--with a sort of
heavy contempt. And Leonora understood that, with his speech, he
was giving her the excuse that she needed for separating him from
the girl, and with his eyes he was reproaching her for thinking that
he would try to corrupt Nancy.
He went silently up to his room and sat there for a long time--until
the girl was well in bed--reading in the Anglican prayer-book.
And about half-past ten she heard his footsteps pass her door,
going outwards. Two and a half hours later they came back,
stumbling heavily.
She remained, reflecting upon this position until the last night of
their stay at Nauheim. Then she suddenly acted. For, just in the
same way, suddenly after dinner, she looked at him and said:
"Teddy, don't you think you could take a night off from your
doctor's orders and go with Nancy to the Casino. The poor child
has had her visit so spoiled.
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