He looked up, and was confronted by the spectacle of Thalassa advancing into the room with his eyes fixed upon him.
"Well, Thalassa," he said, "what do you want ?" "To ask you something," was the response.

"It's this.

It's every man for himself--now that he's gone." He jerked his thumb in the direction of the next room.

"He took this house for twelve months, and so it'll have to be paid for.

Can I stop here for a bit?
I suppose it's in your hands to say yes or no." His face was hard and expressionless as ever, but there was a new note in his voice which struck the lawyer's keen ear--an accent of supplication.
He looked at Thalassa thoughtfully.
"You wish to stay on here until you have made other arrangements for your future--is that so ?" he asked.
"That's it," was the brief reply.
Mr.Brimsdown felt there was more than that--some deeper, secret reason.
Before granting the request it occurred to him to try and get what he could in exchange.