Tristan nodded. He paused for a moment and gazed at her. His hands rested on the back of the chair. He felt bad over his initial reaction yesterday. Though she had broken the rules and had put him in a difficult position, probably more than she realized, he of all people should have understood the fragile state of mind that lay behind her actions. For a moment he looked as if he was about to say something. What he finally said was: "Alright." And he went downstairs.