I went to Walter that evening after dinner. I went out alone,
and to his house. I asked to see him, and was afraid I should
see his mother, but she was upstairs, in the drawing-room, and
he came down alone.
He came into the dining-room; there was a smell of fish there,
but the dinner was cleared away. There was gas alight in the
room, over the table; the maid had lit it when she showed me
in; it had lit with a loud report, like a gun.
He came up to me and took my hands.
‘What is it?’ he asked me quickly. ‘What has happened?’