the best thing we can do seems to be to concentrate on work , does n&apos;t it ? under Rufus Horgan ! he said . Andrea flinched . for a moment she had forgotten that , and now the sting in his voice made her think he was trying to hurt her . not that she could have blamed him . then she remembered how he had been passed over , and realised how he must feel . and on top of that to have almost won her , only to see for himself how the idea suddenly revolted her . no , she could n&apos;t blame him for wanting to hurt her ! under him , as you say , she agreed dully . it &apos;s life , I suppose . and now - goodbye . will you be here or at the house tomorrow ? here - to begin with . goodbye . on the second attempt , she got away . she could not bear to let him know Mark had not made any definite arrangements about her going to his home again . perhaps never , she thought , when at last she was in her own room , staring at her white face in the mirror . perhaps she had given herself away too blatantly , and he would keep clear of her . 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 . there was no phone call for her . normally she could have telephoned the house to ask how he was , but now she was too ashamed . then , late in the afternoon , when she had ceased hoping to hear his voice every time her telephone rang , Gus answered a call . she stiffened , listening . oh , it &apos;s you , Mark ? she heard him say . still making-out ? fine ! something you want us to do here ? Andrea trembled . she kept her pencil moving and her head bent , but she was straining to hear every word . oh , hell ! was all Gus said at first . the receiver crackled for a while , and then : well , we &apos;ll go through with it . you know you can trust Andrea and me . the guy need n&apos;t know we hate his guts for coming here instead of you . you want me in on your first conference ? O.K . thanks a lot - Mark must have said goodbye then , for the American put down the receiver . she felt him looking across at her , but would not look up until he said : Horgan &apos;s coming tomorrow . I guess I &apos;d better go and break it to the boys in the lab . he eased himself up and ambled off . by the time he came back , she had taken a grip on her whirling emotions , managed to sound cool when she spoke . Gus , she said , what about that leakage business ? does Dr Horgan have to know ? he &apos;ll have to know I suppose . it &apos;ll all come out in the handover . now , if I could just trip over one of my own feet , or something , and did n&apos;t have to meet him tomorrow over at Mark &apos;s place - do n&apos;t be absurd . you have to keep your job . and I have to bring him back and induct him here , and the scientist in me sure hates it . understand ? yes . and I &apos;m sure Mark does , too . I &apos;m sure everyone feels the same . they &apos;re taking it badly in the lab . you know , I think Mark &apos;s latest theory about the leakage - that it was just coincidence - was right . I can n&apos;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 . I think it &apos;s all over , anyway . any instructions for me tomorrow , while you &apos;re away ? just see the place is all spruced up and no dust on the files , he said with an attempt at an understanding grin . and have one of the girls from the typing school warned she may be needed . Mark will want you with him and Horgan quite a bit . I &apos;ve to run the show here until he has everything sewn up . though how I shall do it , I just do n&apos;t know . you &apos;ll manage perfectly , she said automatically . he said nothing more . next morning she was in charge of the office ; Gus did n&apos;t come back for lunch , which she had a vision of Pauline serving to the three scientists . 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 . the shock and sensation of Mark &apos;s blindness was over , and unless his successor turned out to be young and attractive they were barely interested . the moment she glimpsed Dr Horgan through the office window , getting out of Gus &apos; car , she knew he was no heart-throb . he wore rimless glasses , was short , conventionally dressed and dedicated-looking . Mark , without his height and personal magnetism , she supposed bitterly . then the two men came into the office , and Gus was introducing her . Dr Horgan &apos;s eyes behind his spectacles were friendly and his smile kind . Dr Pentland told me about you , Miss Holme , he said , shaking hands . I &apos;m sure we shall work well as a team - and I &apos;m to have the benefit of sitting-in on your work with him for a time . the idea is that we meet and work at his home in the mornings and I remain behind for fuller discussion in the afternoon . today I &apos;m simply looking round - Gus led the way , showing him what had been Mark &apos;s desk and his small inner office which he had used for highly secret work . 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 . it sounded as though she might never again be alone with Mark . why should she want to be ? she asked herself furiously . why offer herself again and again for punishment ? the door opened and Gus came back . leaving him to get acquainted , he explained . did you see Pauline ? he blinked , looking at her vaguely . did I ? sure . she served us a pretty good lunch . she &apos;s certainly settled down . old Mark seems to rely on her quite a bit . even if the words were not meant as a barb they drove deep into Andrea &apos;s heart . chapter 14 . talk of pity . for Andrea the next few days were terrible . not only for herself , but in knowing Mark &apos;s agony in gradually transferring his affairs , including his confidential secretary , to the older man . particularly the agony of those talks from which even she was excluded , when he confided the highly secret details of his discoveries . 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 &apos;s expression that his head was aching with strain . not to care that behind the very dark glasses , that gave him such a distinguished look , were eyes that could not see . it was about ten days before Dr Horgan worked in the factory office , when he dictated a few letters after returning from Mark &apos;s home . and then one afternoon Horgan came soon after lunch . Andrea saw him drive up and get out briskly . Dr Pentland has some jobs for you , Miss Holme , he said , striding in . call in a typist for me and go over to him , will you ? I may not get back there today - it depends on the work here . Andrea telephoned the typing pool . as she did so , she met Gus &apos; eyes . this is the take-over , they said , as plainly as speech , and she knew that it was true . this might be the very last time she would go to the Pentlands &apos; home to work for Mark &amp;hellip; . it was a lovely afternoon , mockingly lovely . 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 . 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 . Pauline , Andrea thought , as she turned into Mark &apos;s office - and then the flicker of jealousy roared up into a great burning flame . for Pauline was in the office with Mark - very close to him . Andrea had a horrible impression that they sprang apart as she entered . oh - the blonde exclaimed , turning . I did n&apos;t hear you . 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 . and then her throbbing pulses steadied , for she saw there were books scattered over the carpet between them , and an overturned bowl of roses . pink , cream and scarlet , they were lying everywhere . Dr Horgan said you wanted me - she got out . I do . Mark turned his head in her direction , while his hands groped for the back of a nearby chair . but I &apos;ve just been extremely clumsy , trying to find my way around . knocked something over and turned the whole room into a shambles , apparently ! oh , no - it &apos;s not so bad as that . Pauline stooped and began dabbing at the water on the carpet with a scarf she had pulled from her neck . it &apos;s just a good thing I had n&apos;t left to do your mother &apos;s shopping before you shouted for me . do n&apos;t worry . Andrea could have cleared up . why yes , of course . but I did n&apos;t know she was coming . it &apos;s all my fault , Mark , not warning you where the flowers were . well , leave it , now , or you &apos;ll miss your bus . yes . I &apos;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 . she was strangely breathless . as for Mark , unless it was a trick of the light , he looked very white . 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 ? or had there been a love scene , when some clumsy movement of Mark &apos;s might have caused the accident ? there was certainly a strange tension in the air . you do n&apos;t mind fetching a cloth from the kitchen ? Pauline asked . I simply must run ! I &apos;ll see to it . do n&apos;t worry . Andrea wheeled and went off , leaving them to say what they liked to each other . but Pauline came out at once . Andrea heard her go racing upstairs , then the rapid opening and shutting of a drawer and her footsteps coming down again . so sorry to trouble you ! she called , turning her fair head to flash the other girl a smile as they passed in the hall . as Pauline ran out and down the drive , Andrea braced herself and walked back into the office . Mark was still standing where she had left him - she had to go down almost at his feet , to mop up the water . I &apos;ll rearrange the flowers and I &apos;d better get a towel to dry the books , she said , trying to sound casual and failing . there was something in the atmosphere ! it could only mean she had blundered in on a love scene , however unpremeditated and brief it might have been . do , please , Mark said curtly . 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 . have you finished ? he asked . sorry to be such a clumsy oaf . better get down to work now , had n&apos;t we ? it &apos;s really only a few personal letters . I &apos;m ready . are n&apos;t you going to sit down ? thanks , I &apos;d rather stand - he paced up and down , feeling his way by the chairs that were always strategically placed for him . 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 . 