'You've been crying,' was what she said next.
'No,' I said.
'Perhaps not with your eyes, but you have with your heart.'
At this I felt very much like Mrs. Barnes; very much like what Mrs.
Barnes must have felt when I tried to get her to be frank.
'Do you know what your sister said to me the other day?' I asked, busily
picking. 'She said she has a great opinion of discretion.'
'Yes,' said Dolly. 'But I haven't.'
'And I haven't either,' I was forced to admit.
'Well then,' said Dolly.
I straightened myself, and we looked at each other. Her eyes have a kind
of sweet radiance. Siegfried must have been pleased when he saw her
coming down the sheet into his arms.
'You mustn't tell me anything you don't quite want to,' said Dolly, her
sweet eyes smiling, 'but I couldn't see you looking so unhappy and not
come and--well, stroke you.'
'There isn't anything to tell,' I said, comforted by the mere idea of
being stroked.
'Yes there is.'
'Not really. It's only that once--oh well, what's the good? I don't
want to think of it--I want to forget.'