She raised her veil, and he kissed her. He was wearing some withered flower in his overcoat, and she took it from him.
‘It’s a souvenir of our friendship, Frankie, and rather a good emblem of it also. So-long!’ said she, as she turned down the weary road which leads to the station. A young golfer, getting in at Byfleet, was surprised to see a handsome woman weeping bitterly in the corner of a second-class carriage. ‘Comm’ up from roastin’ somebody at that damned crematory place,’ was his explanation to his companion.
Frank had a long and animated account from Maude of the extraordinary visitor whom she had entertained. ‘It’s such a pity, dear, that you don’t know her well, for I should really like to hear every detail about her. At first I thought she was mad, and then I thought she was odious, and then finally she seemed to be the very wisest and kindest woman that I had ever known. She made me angry, and frightened, and grieved, and grateful, and affectionate, one after the other, and I never in my life was so taken out of myself by any one. She is so sensible!’
‘Sensible, is she?’
‘And she said that I was—oh! I can’t repeat it—everything that is nice.’
‘Then she is sensible.’
‘And such a high opinion of your taste.’
‘Had she indeed.’
‘Do you know, Frank, I really believe that in a quiet, secret, retiring sort of way she has been fond of you herself.’
‘O Maude, what funny ideas you get sometimes! I say, if we are going out for dinner, it is high time that we began to dress.’