She talked--yes; but there were long pauses, and her eyes wandered strangely from him, often towards the windows of the vicarage drawing-room, often towards the doors; her answers were not always to the point and her interest seemed to flag in what was said.
John could not fail to notice too that both Mr.Ambrose and Mr.Juxon treated her with the kind of attention which is bestowed upon invalids, and the vicar's wife was constantly doing something to make her comfortable, offering her a footstool, shading the light from her eyes, asking if she felt any draught where she sat.

These were things no one had formerly thought of doing for Mrs.Goddard, who in spite of her sad face had been used to laugh merrily enough with the rest, and whose lithe figure had seemed to John the embodiment of youthful activity.

At last he ventured to ask her a question.
"Have you been ill, Mrs.Goddard ?" he inquired in a voice full of interest.

Her soft eyes glanced uneasily at him.

He was now the only one of the party who was not in some degree acquainted with her troubles.
"Oh no!" she answered nervously.