'Hyacinth's coming to fetch me for a drive in the motor.'
His face brightened. He said kindly, 'I _am_ so glad, darling, that you have such a delightful friend--when I can't be with you. I admire Hyacinth very much, in every way. She seems devoted to you, too, which is really very nice of her. What I mean to say is, that in her position she might know anybody. You see my point?'
'She's such a lovely creature; I wonder she doesn't marry.'
'Yes, but she has to find someone else whom _she_ thinks a lovely creature, too.'
'I wish you wouldn't snap me up like that. Oh, I know you don't mean it, but it's growing on you, rather.'
She tried to look serious, and said gently, 'Is it, really? I am sorry.'
'You don't mind me telling you of it, do you?'
'Not at all. I'm afraid you will be late, Bruce.'
He started up and hurried away, reminding Edith that dinner was to be at eight. They parted with affectionate smiles.
When he had gone down in the lift, Edith took an inextensive walk through the entire flat, going into each room, and looking at herself in every looking-glass. She appeared to like herself best in the dining-room mirror, for she returned, stared into it rather gravely for some little time, and then said to herself: 'Yes, I'm beginning to look bored.'
Then she rang the bell, and the nurse brought in a pretty little boy of nearly two, Huffily dressed in white, who was excited at the prospect of his great morning treat--going down in the lift. Speaking of him with some formality as Master Archie, she asked the nurse a few questions, which she mistakenly supposed gave that personage the impression that she knew all that there was to be known about children. When she was alone with him for a minute she rushed at him impulsively, saying, privately, 'Heavenly pet! Divine angel! Duck!' in return for which he pulled her hair down and scratched her face with a small empty Noah's Ark that he was taking out with him for purposes of his own.
When he had gone she did her hair up again in a different way--parted in the middle. It was very pretty, wavy, fair hair, and she had small, regular features, so the new way suited her very well. Then she said again--
'Yes, if it were not for Hyacinth I should soon look bored to death!'