The baby was in bed when he walked into the flat, and Norah was having her solitary meal in the dining-room.
"Why are you here to-night?" she asked him, as he held her to him more closely than usual. There was a gleam in the eyes he had almost despised lately for not being more observant, but he did not notice it as he kissed her softly. "So Joan went away to-day, did she?" she added.
"Joan? Did she write to you?" he asked quickly.
"Oh, no. But I knew," and she nodded at him.
"How did you know, wise woman?" he said playfully.
"Because you have come home, of course," she replied, and laughed outright. He laughed too; but there was not a pleasant ring in his merriment and it was short-lived.
"What has come over you, childie?" he said, beginning to feel vaguely alarmed.
She had disengaged herself from his arms, and was walking away to the window.
"Oh, nothing. Only it is a pity you leave your coats about. I should never have known if you had not been so careless. At least, I fancy I have known all the winter," she added dreamily, as if to herself.
"Known what?" he asked in a voice he did not seem to recognize. But he knew; and he felt rather worse than when he had stood in the porch that afternoon, watching Joan over the fields. "What a hellish sport marriage is!" he added in a bitter undertone.
She heard him, and came back to his side.
"Well? I don't want you to touch me, if you would rather not," he said roughly, and did not look at her.
"I want to tell you," she went on softly. "I found Joan's letter, and I read it as a matter of course; I thought it was about--oh, never mind what. That was the day you went down to Murville; and I could not speak to you then. It has been so dreadful waiting for you to come back, Digby. Are you not going to look at me, now you have come?"
He turned round bewildered, and saw her eyes full of tears.
"Good God, Norah, do you mean you can know that, and--?"
"Yes, dear. I think I know more than you. I think I know how you have been feeling lately, and all the winter. But I did not know it was as bad as this, and when I read that letter--do you know how I felt? I think I must tell you, Digby; I have had something to bear too, you know. I felt first that something terrible had come between you and me, something that wanted pushing away with all my might; and I couldn't do it alone, Digby, and you--you were not there to help me. And then--I only felt sorry for you. I have just longed for you to come back that I might put my arms round you and comfort you, and tell you that I knew. Digby, don't turn away like that."