back. And she felt she could not bear it any more, in a few minutes she would fall down at his feet, grovelling at his feet, and letting him destroy her.

The thought pricked up all her sharp intelligence and presence of mind. She dared not turn round to him — and there he stood motionless, unbroken. Summoning all her strength, she said, in a full, resonant, nonchalant voice, that was forced out with all her remaining self-control:

‘Oh, would you mind looking in that bag behind there and giving me my — ’

Here her power fell inert. ‘My what — my what — ?’ she screamed in silence to herself.

But he had started round, surprised and startled that she should ask him to look in