The horrible, helpless noise fell with a giggle into silence; he collapsed into a chair and hid his face in his hands.
There was a long pause.

Olva gazed at the bending figure, summoning all his will power to hold the shaking thing in control.

He waited.

Then, softly, he began again.

"Bunning, I did you a great wrong when I told you--you're not up to it." From behind the hands there came a muffled voice--"I _am_ up to it." "This sort of thing makes it impossible." "It shall never happen again." Bunning lifted his tear-stained face.
"It's been coming for days.