She sat
there, looking up at him, fascinated. His hand, on the wing
of the great chair, was shaking. So, too, was his voice.
"Fanny, Katherine's not here."
Fanny still looked up at him, wordlessly.
"Katherine left here yesterday. She's in town." Then, at
the look in her face, "She was here when I telephoned you
yesterday. Late yesterday afternoon she had one of her
fantastic notions. She insisted that she must go into town.
It was too cold for her here. Too damp. Too--well, she
went. And I let her go. And I didn't telephone you again.
I wanted you to come."
Fanny Brandeis, knowing him, must have felt a great qualm of
terror and helplessness. But she was angry, too, a
wholesome ingredient in a situation such as this. The thing
she said and did now was inspired. She laughed--a little
uncertainly, it is true--but still she laughed. And she
said, in a matter-of-fact tone:
"Well, I must say that's a rather shabby trick. Still, I
suppose the tired business man has got to have his little
melodrama. What do I do? H'm? Beat my breast and howl?
Or pound on the door panel?"
Fenger stood looking at her.
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