The Painted Veil

V

IT couldn't have been Walter that afternoon. It must have been one of the servantsand after all they didn't matter. Chinese servants knew everything anyway. But theyheld their tongues.Her heart beat a little faster as she remembered the way in which that whitechina knob slowly turned. They mustn't take risks like that again. It was better to goto the curio shop. No one who saw her go in would think anything of it, and theywere absolutely safe there. The owner of the shop knew who Charlie was and hewas not such a fool as to put up the back of the Assistant Colonial Secretary. Whatdid anything matter really but that Charlie loved her?She turned away from the verandah and went back into her sitting-room. Shethrew herself down on the sofa and stretched out her hand to get a cigarette. Hereye caught sight of a note lying on the top of a book. She opened it. It was written inpencil.Dear Kitty,Here is the book you wanted. I was just going to send it when Imet Dr. Fane and he said he'd bring it round himself as he waspassing the house.V.H.She rang the bell and when the boy came asked him who had brought the bookand when."Master bring it, missy, after tiffin," he answered.Then it had been Walter. She rang up the Colonial Secretary's Office at onceand asked for Charlie. She told him what she had just learned. There was a pausebefore he answered."What shallI do?" she asked."I'm in the middle of an important consultation. I'm afraid I can't talk to younow. My advice to you is to sit tight."She put down the receiver. She understood that he was not alone and she wasimpatient with his business.She sat down again, at a desk, and resting her face in her hands sought to thinkout the situation. Of course Walter might merely have thought she was sleeping: therewas no reason why she should not lock herself in. She tried to remember if they hadbeen talking. Certainly they had not been talking loud. And there was the hat. It wasmaddening of Charlie to have left it downstairs. But it was no use blaming him forthat, it was natural enough, and there was nothing to tell that Walter had noticed it.He was probably in a hurry and had just left the book and the note on his way tosome appointment connected with his work. The strange thing was that he shouldhave tried the door and then the two windows. If he thought she was asleep it wasunlike him to disturb her. What a foolshe had been!She shook herself a little and again she felt that sweet pain in her heart which shealways felt when she thought of Charlie. It had been worth it. He had said that hewould stand by her, and if the worse came to the worst, well. . . . Let Walter kick upa row if he chose. She had Charlie; what did she care? Perhaps it would be the bestthing for him to know. She had never cared for Walter and since she had lovedCharlie Townsend it had irked and bored her to submit to her husband's caresses.She wanted to have nothing more to do with him. She didn't see how he couldprove anything. If he accused her she would deny, and if it came to pass that shecould deny no longer, well, she would fling the truth in his teeth, and he could dowhat he chose.