"Well, Laurie?" she said.
"Well, Maggie," said his voice in answer. And their hands met.
Then in an instant she knew that something was wrong. Yet at the
moment she had not an idea as to what it was that told her that. It
was Laurie's voice surely!
"You're all in the dark," she said.
There was no movement or word in answer. She passed her hand along the
mantelpiece for the matches she had seen there just before; but her
hand shook so much that some little metal ornament fell with a crash
as she fumbled there, and she drew a long almost vocal breath of
sudden nervous alarm. And still there was no movement in answer. Only
the tall figure stood watching her it seemed--a pale luminous patch
showing her his face.
Then she found the matches and struck one; and, keeping her face
downcast, lighted, with fingers that shook violently, the two candles
on the little table by the fire. She must just be natural and
ordinary, she kept on telling herself. Then with another fierce effort
of will she began to speak, lifting her eyes to his face as she did
so.
"Auntie's just fallen..." (her voice died suddenly for an instant, as
she saw him looking at her)--then she finished--"just fallen asleep.
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