The best thing we can do seems to be to concentrate on work , doesn't it ?sx " " Under Rufus Horgan !sx " he said .sx Andrea flinched .sx For a moment she had forgotten that , and now the sting in his voice made her think he was trying to hurt her .sx Not that she could have blamed him .sx Then she remembered how he had been passed over , and realised how he must feel .sx And on top of that to have almost won her , only to see for himself how the idea suddenly revolted her .sx No , she couldn't blame him for wanting to hurt her !sx " Under him , as you say , " she agreed dully .sx " It's life , I suppose .sx And now- goodbye .sx " " Will you be here or at the house tomorrow ?sx " " Here- to begin with .sx Goodbye .sx " On the second attempt , she got away .sx She could not bear to let him know Mark had not made any definite arrangements about her going to his home again .sx Perhaps never , she thought , when at last she was in her own room , staring at her white face in the mirror .sx Perhaps she had given herself away too blatantly , and he would keep clear of her .sx He had Pauline to interpret his wants , so perhaps any typist would do- Next day , a sickening desert of hours in the office , it seemed she was right .sx There was no phone call for her .sx Normally she could have telephoned the house to ask how he was , but now she was too ashamed .sx Then , late in the afternoon , when she had ceased hoping to hear his voice every time her telephone rang , Gus answered a call .sx She stiffened , listening .sx " Oh , it's you , Mark ?sx " she heard him say .sx " Still making-out ?sx Fine !sx Something you want us to do here ?sx " Andrea trembled .sx She kept her pencil moving and her head bent , but she was straining to hear every word .sx " Oh , hell !sx " was all Gus said at first .sx The receiver crackled for a while , and then :sx " Well , we'll go through with it .sx You know you can trust Andrea and me .sx The guy needn't know we hate his guts for coming here instead of you .sx You want me in on your first conference ?sx O.K. Thanks a lot- " Mark must have said goodbye then , for the American put down the receiver .sx She felt him looking across at her , but would not look up until he said :sx " Horgan's coming tomorrow .sx I guess I'd better go and break it to the boys in the lab .sx " He eased himself up and ambled off .sx By the time he came back , she had taken a grip on her whirling emotions , managed to sound cool when she spoke .sx " Gus , " she said , " what about that leakage business ?sx Does Dr. Horgan have to know ?sx " " He'll have to know I suppose .sx It'll all come out in the handover .sx Now , if I could just trip over one of my own feet , or something , and didn't have to meet him tomorrow over at Mark's place- " " Don't be absurd .sx You have to keep your job .sx " " And I have to bring him back and induct him here , and the scientist in me sure hates it .sx Understand ?sx " " Yes .sx And I'm sure Mark does , too .sx I'm sure everyone feels the same .sx " " They're taking it badly in the lab .sx You know , I think Mark's latest theory about the leakage- that it was just coincidence- was right .sx I can't see any of those boys letting out a word of what passes here , even if they know- which , thanks to the system , none of us really does .sx " " I think it's all over , anyway .sx Any instructions for me tomorrow , while you're away ?sx " " Just see the place is all spruced up and no dust on the files , " he said with an attempt at an understanding grin .sx " And have one of the girls from the typing school warned she may be needed .sx Mark will want you with him and Horgan quite a bit .sx I've to run the show here until he has everything sewn up .sx Though how I shall do it , I just don't know .sx " " You'll manage perfectly , " she said automatically .sx He said nothing more .sx Next morning she was in charge of the office ; Gus didn't come back for lunch , which she had a vision of Pauline serving to the three scientists .sx Andrea ate in the canteen hastily , but forcing herself to mix with the other girls as though today was just like any other day- as it was to them .sx The shock and sensation of Mark's blindness was over , and unless his successor turned out to be young and attractive they were barely interested .sx The moment she glimpsed Dr. Horgan through the office window , getting out of Gus' car , she knew he was no heart-throb .sx He wore rimless glasses , was short , conventionally dressed and dedicated-looking .sx Mark , without his height and personal magnetism , she supposed bitterly .sx Then the two men came into the office , and Gus was introducing her .sx Dr. Horgan's eyes behind his spectacles were friendly and his smile kind .sx " Dr. Pentland told me about you , Miss Holme , " he said , shaking hands .sx " I'm sure we shall work well as a team- and I'm to have the benefit of sitting-in on your work with him for a time .sx The idea is that we meet and work at his home in the mornings and I remain behind for fuller discussion in the afternoon .sx Today I'm simply looking round- " Gus led the way , showing him what had been Mark's desk and his small inner office which he had used for highly secret work .sx Then they went off to the lab and the other departments , and Andrea could drop the forced smile from her lips and stare into space .sx It sounded as though she might never again be alone with Mark .sx Why should she want to be ?sx she asked herself furiously .sx Why offer herself again and again for punishment ?sx The door opened and Gus came back .sx " Leaving him to get acquainted , " he explained .sx " Did you see Pauline ?sx " He blinked , looking at her vaguely .sx " Did I ?sx Sure .sx She served us a pretty good lunch .sx " She's certainly settled down .sx Old Mark seems to rely on her quite a bit .sx " Even if the words were not meant as a barb they drove deep into Andrea's heart .sx CHAPTER 14 .sx Talk Of Pity .sx FOR Andrea the next few days were terrible .sx Not only for herself , but in knowing Mark's agony in gradually transferring his affairs , including his confidential secretary , to the older man .sx Particularly the agony of those talks from which even she was excluded , when he confided the highly secret details of his discoveries .sx The only way she could get through the days was by turning herself into a sort of robot and trying not to think- not to feel when she saw from Mark's expression that his head was aching with strain .sx Not to care that behind the very dark glasses , that gave him such a distinguished look , were eyes that could not see .sx It was about ten days before Dr. Horgan worked in the factory office , when he dictated a few letters after returning from Mark's home .sx And then one afternoon Horgan came soon after lunch .sx Andrea saw him drive up and get out briskly .sx " Dr. Pentland has some jobs for you , Miss Holme , " he said , striding in .sx " Call in a typist for me and go over to him , will you ?sx I may not get back there today- it depends on the work here .sx " Andrea telephoned the typing pool .sx As she did so , she met Gus' eyes .sx This is the take-over , they said , as plainly as speech , and she knew that it was true .sx This might be the very last time she would go to the Pentlands' home to work for Mark .sx . It was a lovely afternoon , mockingly lovely .sx Once the rectangular steel-and-glass blocks of the factory were behind her and she was cycling along the short-cut , she might have been in the heart of unspoilt country .sx There was a drone of bees in the roses over the porch of the house , and a great bowl of half-opened roses on the old chest in the hall .sx Pauline , Andrea thought , as she turned into Mark's office- and then the flicker of jealousy roared up into a great burning flame .sx For Pauline was in the office with Mark- very close to him .sx Andrea had a horrible impression that they sprang apart as she entered .sx " Oh- " the blonde exclaimed , turning .sx " I didn't hear you .sx " For a moment Andrea thought she was going to burst into tears so overwhelming was the certainty that all her vague feelings about Pauline and Mark had been only too well founded .sx And then her throbbing pulses steadied , for she saw there were books scattered over the carpet between them , and an overturned bowl of roses .sx Pink , cream and scarlet , they were lying everywhere .sx " Dr. Horgan said you wanted me- " she got out .sx " I do .sx " Mark turned his head in her direction , while his hands groped for the back of a nearby chair .sx " But I've just been extremely clumsy , trying to find my way around .sx Knocked something over and turned the whole room into a shambles , apparently !sx " " Oh , no- it's not so bad as that .sx " Pauline stooped and began dabbing at the water on the carpet with a scarf she had pulled from her neck .sx " It's just a good thing I hadn't left to do your mother's shopping before you shouted for me .sx " " Don't worry .sx Andrea could have cleared up .sx " " Why yes , of course .sx But I didn't know she was coming .sx It's all my fault , Mark , not warning you where the flowers were .sx " " Well , leave it , now , or you'll miss your bus .sx " " Yes .sx I'd better get another pair of gloves- " The girl was wearing her outdoor coat- fabric gloves , and big china earrings that , as usual , warred with the rest of her outfit .sx She was strangely breathless .sx As for Mark , unless it was a trick of the light , he looked very white .sx Was it true that Pauline had dashed in in response to a shout from him when everything cascaded down off the top of the bookcase ?sx Or had there been a love scene , when some clumsy movement of Mark's might have caused the accident ?sx There was certainly a strange tension in the air .sx " You don't mind fetching a cloth from the kitchen ?sx " Pauline asked .sx " I simply must run !sx " " I'll see to it .sx Don't worry .sx " Andrea wheeled and went off , leaving them to say what they liked to each other .sx But Pauline came out at once .sx Andrea heard her go racing upstairs , then the rapid opening and shutting of a drawer and her footsteps coming down again .sx " So sorry to trouble you !sx " she called , turning her fair head to flash the other girl a smile as they passed in the hall .sx As Pauline ran out and down the drive , Andrea braced herself and walked back into the office .sx Mark was still standing where she had left him- she had to go down almost at his feet , to mop up the water .sx " I'll rearrange the flowers and I'd better get a towel to dry the books , " she said , trying to sound casual and failing .sx There was something in the atmosphere !sx It could only mean she had blundered in on a love scene , however unpremeditated and brief it might have been .sx " Do , please , " Mark said curtly .sx It seemed to take hours of coming and going , and all the time he stood there , until he must have known by her silence that it was all cleared up .sx " Have you finished ?sx " he asked .sx " Sorry to be such a clumsy oaf .sx Better get down to work now , hadn't we ?sx It's really only a few personal letters .sx " " I'm ready .sx Aren't you going to sit down ?sx " " Thanks , I'd rather stand- " He paced up and down , feeling his way by the chairs that were always strategically placed for him .sx His mind was obviously distracted- these letters to people who had written sympathetically about his tragedy seemed to give him more trouble than the most intricate scientific calculations .sx