Page:The Fruit of the Tree (Wharton 1907).djvu/332

Rh and the feeling might have betrayed her into too great a show of compassion had she not been restrained by a salutary fear of the result.

The state of Bessy’s nerves necessitated frequent visits from her physician, but Justine, on these occasions, could usually shelter herself behind the professional reserve which kept even Wyant from any open expression of feeling. One day, however, they chanced to ﬁnd themselves alone before Bessy’s return from her ride. The servant had ushered Wyant into the library where Justine was writing, and when she had replied to his enquiries about his patient they found themselves face to face with an awkward period of waiting. Justine was too proud to cut it short by leaving the room; but Wyant answered her commonplaces at random, stirring uneasily to and fro between window and ﬁreside, and at length halting behind the table at which she sat.

“May I ask how much longer you mean to stay here?” he said in a low voice, his eyes darkening under the sullen jut of the brows.

As she glanced up in surprise she noticed for the ﬁrst time an odd contraction of his pupils, and the discovery, familiar enough in her professional experience, made her disregard the abruptness of his question and softened the tone in which she answered. “I hardly know—I suppose as long as I am needed.” [ 316 ]