Page:The Other House (London, William Heinemann, 1896), Volume 1.djvu/70

56 arrival. "Do you really think the poor lady will spoil our fun?" he rather resentfully put it to her.

"It will depend on what our fun may demand of her," said Rose. "If you ask me if she's in danger, I think not quite that: in such a case I must certainly have put you off. I dare say to-day will show the contrary. But she's so much to me—you know how much—that I'm uneasy, quickly upset; and if I seem to you flustered and not myself and not with you, I beg you to attribute it simply to the situation in the house."

About this situation they had each more to say, and about many matters besides, for they faced each other over the deep waters of the accumulated and the undiscussed. They could keep no order and for five minutes more they rather helplessly played with the flood. Dennis was rueful at first, for what he seemed to have lighted upon was but half his opportunity; then he had an inspiration which made him say to his companion that they should both, after all, be able to make terms with any awkwardness by simply meeting it with a consciousness that their happiness had already taken form.