'Ah! there is that. Then why not do something useful—go and be manicured?'
'I'm afraid I shouldn't have the patience today.'
'I suppose what you'd really like,' said Anne, 'would be to see Edith
Ottley.'
'No, I shouldn't. Not till tomorrow. I don't want to see anybody,' said
Hyacinth.
'Well, all right. I'm going out.'
'Oh, but I can't bear to be alone.'
'Then I scarcely see …'
'This afternoon especially, Anne. You must stay with me till about a quarter of an hour before I expect him. The horrible agony of waiting is so frightful! It makes me feel so ill. But I don't want you to stay beyond the time I expect him, in case he's late. Because then I suffer so much that I couldn't bear you to see it.'
'I see. How jolly it must be to be in love! You do seem to have a good time.'
'When one has the slightest hope, Anne, it's simply too awful. Of course, if one hasn't, one bears it.'