His face was worn, no doubt, his hair had gone grey, but there
was no air of helplessness or uncertainty, and it was that which for his
own sake she most dreaded. He walked forward into the room as though his
eyes saw; his memory seemed to tell him exactly where each piece of the
furniture stood. The most that he did was once or twice to put out a
hand where he expected a chair.
Ethne drew silently back into the window rather at a loss with what
words to greet him, and immediately he smiled and came straight towards
her.
"Ethne," he said.
"It isn't true, then," she exclaimed. "You have recovered." The words
were forced from her by the readiness of his movement.
"It is quite true, and I have not recovered," he answered. "But you
moved at the window and so I knew that you were there."
"How did you know? I made no noise."
"No, but the window's open. The noise in the street became suddenly
louder, so I knew that some one in front of the window had moved aside.
I guessed that it was you."
Their words were thus not perhaps the most customary greeting between a
couple meeting on the first occasion after they have become engaged, but
they served to hinder embarrassment.
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