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Page 191
the fire and telling himself that he must go and tell one of Sybelle's parents it was not safe to allow her to remain where he could get at her, but he could not make himself do it. Instead, he promised himself that he would under no circumstances be alone with her. If he were careful, he could have the warmth and joy her company brought him without skirting disaster again. He had been a fool to draw her into that side chamber. If there had been others present, they would not have gone so far. Even if he had not been able to resist tasting her lips, the touch would have been brief, and little could have followed.
When, some little while later, Walter realized he was lingering in the empty room in the expectation that Sybelle would return to tell him her parents' decisionand had not permitted himself to think about what he was doinghe left the place at once. However, he still did not seek out Geoffrey or Joanna. In fact, he made himself inconspicuous in a chair beside the hearth in the great hall. This was not the same, he told himself, although the place was far from crowded and it was the very spot he had held several conversations with Sybelle. If she guessed where he was and came to find him, it would be safe.
However, he saw no more of Sybelle that day. It was Marie who found him. She stopped as if surprised when she saw him and exclaimed at discovering him alone. Walter rose from his chair with alacrity and greeted her with genuine warmth. He was very pleased with Marie, believing she had behaved with the utmost delicacy. He thought she had perceived the jealousy that had precipitated Sybelle into accepting his offer and had avoided him to prevent any increase in that jealousy.
To a limited extent Walter was right, although Marie thought that Sybelle's attitude had more of a dog-in-the-manger quality than jealousy over love. Both of them had failed to recognize the combination of innocence, self-confidence, and a feeling of superiority to Marie that armored Sybelle. This simple error caused Walter to prefer that Sybelle not find him in Marie's company. Thus he soon suggested that they move to a more "comfortable" place.
Marie gave a single, brief glance at the chair from which Walter had risen but she did not smile, although she was aware that it was as comfortable as any other he was likely to

 
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