III
BASIL returned by the last train that night. Next morning he breakfasted in his room, and Teresa did not see him till near noon, when she went into the studio to get a half-finished clay model. They usually worked side by side some hours of the morning, but now Teresa gathered up her materials, with a cool "Good-morning," and went out again. Basil did not answer, but looked up from his drawing-board with a haggard, sombre glance. She noticed that the sheet of paper before him was entirely blank.
Luncheon came and went in perfect silence, except for Teresa's conversation with Ronald, who had lately been promoted to take his dinner at the family board. After luncheon Teresa put Ronald to bed, and went into the studio. There was the blank sheet of paper, over which Basil had spent the morning. From the window she could see him walking up and down in the garden, and she saw the well-known nervous motion of his hands as he threw away a half-smoked cigarette, lit another, and presently threw that away too. The day was cool and clouding over. She lit the fire ready-laid in the big grate, and moved about the room, putting it in order, and clearing away the litter of pipes and cigarette-
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