But Coombe sat with face hidden.

He was bowed like an old man.
"A shell," he said slowly as if thinking the awful thing out.

"That I heard unofficially." Then he added a strange thing, dragging the words out.

"How could that--be blown to atoms ?" The Duchess scarcely breathed her answer which was as strange as his questioning.
"Oh! How _could_ it!" She put out her shaking hand and touched his sleeve, watching his face as if something in it awed her.
"You _loved_ him ?" She whispered it.

But Robin heard.
"I did not know I had loved anything--but I suppose that has been it.
His physical perfection attracted me at first--his extraordinary contrast to Henry.