It was a feeble piece of bravado, and he felt it, but he must convince her in some way that the thing was worthless to him.
"Ah," she said, "that is a pity!" and she walked to the door.

She must get away, quite away, and quickly, to realize this, thing, and find out exactly what it meant to her.

And yet, three steps down the stairs she turned and came back again.

John Kendal stood where, she had left him, staring at the sketch on the easel.
"I have come back to thank you," Elfrida said quickly, "for showing me what a fool I made of myself," and she was gone.
An hour later Kendal had not ceased to belabor himself; but the contemplation of the sketch--he had not looked at it for two months--brought him to the conclusion that perhaps, after all, it might have some salutary effect.
He found himself so curiously sore about it though, so thoroughly inclined, to brand himself a traitor and a person without obligation, that he went back to Norway the following week--a course which left a number of worthy people in the neighborhood of Bigton, Devonshire, very indignant indeed..