III
With teeth still clenched he set himself to build up his house again. Clare
was very quiet and submissive during those first weeks. Her little figure
looked helpless and appealing in its deep black; she was prettier than she
had ever been in her life before. People said, "Poor Mrs. Westcott, she
feels the loss of her baby so dreadfully"--and they didn't think about
Peter. Indeed some people thought him callous. "Mr. Westcott seemed to be
so fond of the child. Now I really believe he's forgotten all about him."
Bobby was the only person in the world who knew how Peter suffered.
Clare was, indeed, after a time, reassured. Peter, after all, seemed not to
mind. Did he mind anything? He was so often glum and silent that really you
couldn't tell. Clare herself had been frightened on that night when the
baby had died. She had probably never in all her life felt a more genuine
emotion than she had known when she knelt by Peter's side and went to sleep
in his arms. She was quite ready to feel that emotion again would Peter but
allow her. But no. He showed no emotion himself and expected no one else to
show any, for he was ready to share it but in her heart of hearts she
longed to fling away from her this emotional atmosphere. She had loved the
baby--of course she had loved it. But she had always known that something
would happen to it--always.
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