And she proceeded to fulfil her wish.
All had been familiar from the window; all was unfamiliar on the landing and the stairs.

No one had been down; the blinds were all drawn; a clock ticked like a sledge-hammer in the hall.

Rachel ran downstairs like a mouse, and almost into the arms of her husband, whom she met coming out of the dining-room with a loaded tray.

Another would have dropped it; with Steel there was not so much as a rattle of the things, but his color changed, and Rachel had not yet had such a look as he gave her with his pursed mouth and his flashing eyes.
"What does this mean ?" he demanded, in the tone of distant thunder, with little less than lightning in his glance.
"I think that's for me to ask," laughed Rachel, standing up to him with a nerve that surprised herself.

"I didn't know that you began so early!" A decanter and a glass were among the things upon the tray.
"And I didn't know it of you," he retorted.