"Oh yes, there is something!" she said at last, carefully
drawing it out and holding it at arm's length. "Something
that is quite new to me. Do you mind if I put it in a
better light?" Her voice had wonderfully changed; it
expressed a curious interest and self-control. In effect
that was all she felt for the moment; she had a dull
consciousness of a blow, but did not yet quite understand
being struck. She was gathering herself together as she
looked, growing conscious of her hurt and of her resentment.
Kendal was silent, cursing himself inwardly for not having
destroyed the thing the day after he had let himself do it.
"Yes," she said, placing it on an easel at an oblique
angle with the north window of the room, "it is better so."
She stepped back a few paces to look at it, and stood
immovable, searching every detail. "It does you credit,"
she said slowly; "immense credit. Oh, it is very clever!"
"Forgive me," Kendal said, taking a step toward her. "I
am afraid it doesn't But I never intended you to see it."
"Is it an order?" she asked calmly. "Ah, but that would
not have been fair--not to show it to me first!"
Kendal crimsoned. "I beg," he said earnestly, "that you
will not think such a thing possible.
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