Sidney drew back a step, involuntarily; the movement came of the shock with which he heard her make such confident reference to the supposed relations between himself and Jane Snowdon.  He reddened—­ stood mute.  For a few seconds his mind was in the most painful whirl and conflict; a hundred impressions, arguments, apprehensions, crowded upon him, each with its puncturing torment.  And Clara stood there waiting for his reply, in the attitude of consummate grace.

‘Of course I know what you speak of,’ he said at length, with the bluntness of confusion.  ’But your father was mistaken.  I don’t know who can have led him to believe that—­It’s a mistake, altogether.’

Sidney would not have believed that anyone could so completely rob him of self-possession, least of all Clara Hewett.  His face grew still more heated.  He was angry with he knew not whom, he knew not why—­perhaps with himself in the first instance.

‘A mistake?’ Clara murmured, under her breath.  ’Oh, you mean people have been too hasty in speaking about it.  Do pardon me.  I ought never to have taken such a liberty—­but I felt—­’

She hesitated.

’It was no liberty at all.  I dare say the mistake is natural enough to those who know nothing of Miss Snowdon’s circumstances.  I myself, however, have no right to talk about her.  But what you have been told is absolute error.’

Clara walked a few paces aside.

‘Again I ask you to forgive me.’  Her tones had not the same clearness as hitherto.  ’In any case, I had no right to approach such a subject in speaking with you.’

‘Let us put it aside,’ said Sidney, mastering himself.  ’We were just agreeing that I should see your father, and make known your wish to him.’

’Thank you.  I shall tell him, when I go upstairs, that you were the friend whom I had asked to come here.  I felt it to be so uncertain whether you would come.’

‘I hope you couldn’t seriously doubt it.’

’You teach me to tell the truth.  No.  I knew too well your kindness.  I knew that even to me—­’

Sidney could converse no longer.  He felt the need of being alone, to put his thoughts in order, to resume his experiences during this strange hour.  An extreme weariness was possessing him, as though he had been straining his intellect in attention to some difficult subject.  And all at once the dank, cold atmosphere of the room struck into his blood; he had a fit of trembling.

‘Let us say good-bye for the present.’

Clara gave her hand silently.  He touched it for the first time, and could not but notice its delicacy; it was very warm, too, and moist.  Without speaking she went with him to the outer door.  His footsteps sounded along the stone staircase; Clara listened until the last echo was silent.

She too had begun to feel the chilly air.  Hastily putting on her hat, she took up the lamp, glanced round the room to see that nothing was left in disorder, and hastened up to the fifth storey.