Tietjens, leaning heavily forward, made his eyes as enigmatic as he could; he said very slowly and very clearly:
‘Mrs Tietjens is, of course, not aware of all the circumstances.’
Port Scatho threw himself back in his chair.
‘I don’t understand!’ he said. ‘I do not understand. How am I to act? You do not wish me to act on this letter? You can’t!’
Tietjens, who found himself, said:
‘You had better talk to Mrs Tietjens about that. I will say something myself later. In the meantime let me say that Mrs Tietjens would seem to me to be quite within her rights. A lady, heavily veiled, comes here every Friday and remains until four on the Saturday morning…If you are prepared to palliate the proceeding you had better do so to Mrs Tietjens…’
Port Scatho turned agitatedly on Sylvia.
‘I can’t, o
