She did not appear to see the others.

During the progress of the meal she said little, keeping up a pretense of indifference as to what went on around her.

Nevertheless her eyes strayed more than once toward the end of the table where Elfreda was entertaining the girls sitting nearest to her with a ludicrous account of what had happened to her on her way back to Overton.

Miriam accidentally intercepted one of these straying glances.

In it she fancied she read reproach.