Page:Yellow Claw 1920.djvu/99

 girl, firmly; “but I did not anticipate—” she indicated the chaos about—“this! The insolence, the disgraceful, ungrateful insolence, of those women!”

“Dear, dear, dear!” murmured Leroux, waving his hand vaguely; “never mind—never mind! They—er—they…I don’t want them to stop…and, believe me, I am—er—perfectly comfortable!”

“You should not be in—this room, at all. In fact, you should go right away.”…

“I cannot…my wife may—return—at any moment.” His voice shook. “I—am expecting her return—hourly.”…

His gaze sought the table-clock; and he drew his lips very tightly together when the pitiless hands forced upon his mind the fact that the day was marching to its end.

Helen turned her head aside, inhaling deeply, and striving for composure.

“Garnham shall come down and tidy up for you,” she said, quietly; “and you must dine with us.”

The outer door was noisily closed by the departing servants.

“You are much too good,” whispered Leroux, again; and the weary eyes glistened with a sudden moisture. “Thank you! Thank you! But—er—I could not dream of disturbing”…

“Mr. Leroux,” said Helen, with all her old firmness—“Garnham is coming down immediately to put the place in order! And, whilst he is doing so,