her room. It was too wet to go outside. The rain beat against her canvas blind, and underneath it along the floor. She stood by her open window till she began to shiver, but the cold air made her feel better. Her nerves calmed down. She felt very tired. She got into her indoor bed and before very long fell asleep.
V
The storm wore itself out during the night, and the next day was fresh and clear. Early in the morning Dane staggered out of his room with a couple of rugs, and got into his hammock. After he had revived himself with the coffee Lee brought him he began to wonder what had happened to him. It was some time before he got it clearly in his mind. He remembered coming home, he remembered his struggle with his nerves the previous day. He remembered he had wanted music. And then he had gone into his den to listen to it, and he had seen that dreadful face, the face of the drowned man. He could remember no more. He was distressed to learn what day it was. What would Valerie think of him? He had told her he was going to Roland’s Mills. She would think he had lied.
He lay still all the morning fighting nausea, wishing he were dead, wondering why he had not ended it all up there on the Hokianga harbour that night. He told himself he was a miserable weakling, and that it was a wonder Valerie had ever loved him, but she had, and still did in spite of all this, that was the wonderful thing. And thinking of that his will began again its fight with his body.
At lunch time he asked Lee what she was doing, and was glad to hear she had gone out to garden. He made a desperate effort to shave so that he could take tea with her, but he did not feel equal to meeting her till dinner.
