You can deduce what you please from that," he said.
Dane only nodded, and when they went down together laid a kindly grasp
upon his comrade's arm as he led him into the great dining-room. Every
man at Silverdale was apparently there, as were most of the women, and
Winston stood still a moment, very erect with shoulders square, because
the posture enabled him to conceal the tremor that ran through him when
he saw the smiling faces turned upon him. Then he moved slowly down
the room towards Maud Barrington, and felt her hand rest for a second
between his fingers, which he feared were too responsive. After that,
everybody seemed to speak to him, and he was glad when he found himself
sitting next to Miss Barrington at the head of the long table, with her
niece opposite him.
He could not remember what he or the others talked about during the
meal, but he had a vague notion that there was now and then a silence
of attention when he answered a question, and that the little lady's
face grew momentarily grave when, as the voices sank a trifle, he
turned to her.
"I would have paid my respects to Colonel Barrington, but Dane did not
consider it advisable," he said.
"No," said Miss Barrington. "He has talked a good deal about you
during the last two days, but he is sleeping now, and we did not care
to disturb him. I am afraid you will find a great change in him when
you see him."
Winston asked no more questions on that topic until later in the
evening, when he found a place apart from the rest by Miss Barrington's
side.
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