ISOBEL. What?
ROYCE. The excitement at the back of one’s mind when anything unusual happens, however disastrous.
ISOBEL (smiling). Did I sound very excited?
ROYCE. You sounded alive for the first time.
ISOBEL. These last two days have helped me. It has been a great comfort to have you here. It was good of you to come.
ROYCE. But of course I came.
[247]ISOBEL. I was looking up Who’s Who for an address, and I went on to your name—you know how one does. I hadn’t realised you were so famous or so busy. It was good of you to come.... Your wife died?
ROYCE (surprised). Yes.
ISOBEL. I didn’t know.
ROYCE. Ten years ago. Surely——