He felt instinctively that Valentine did not wish to be obliged to answer it.

Oddly enough, during the short silence which followed, he was conscious of a slight constraint such as he had certainly never felt with Valentine before.

His gaiety seemed dropping from him in this quiet room to which he was so often a visitor.

The rowdy expression faded out of his face and he found himself glancing half furtively at his friend.
"Valentine," he presently said, "shall we really sit to-night ?" "Yes, surely.

You meant to when you came here, didn't you ?" "I don't believe there is anything in it." "We will find out.