The small circular room received but little of the dim outer light--they were near each other--they were silent.

Sydney burst suddenly into a nervous little laugh.
"Why do you laugh ?" he asked good-humoredly.
"It seems so strange, Mr.Linley, for us to be out here." In the moment when she made that reply her merriment vanished; she looked out sadly, through the open door, at the stillness of the night.

"What should I have done," she wondered, "if I had been shut out of the house by myself ?" Her eyes rested on him timidly; there was some thought in her which she shrank from expressing.

She only said: "I wish I knew how to be worthy of your kindness." Her voice warned him that she was struggling with strong emotion.

In one respect, men are all alike; they hate to see a woman in tears.