X
THAT same afternoon Donald Keith, arrived at the top of Mrs. Belloc's steps, met Mildred coming out. Seeing their greeting, one would have thought they had seen each other but a few minutes before or were casual acquaintances. Said she:
"I'm going for a walk."
"Let's take the taxi," said he.
There it stood invitingly at the curb. She felt tired. She disliked walking. She wished to sit beside him and be whirled away—out of the noisy part of the city, up where the air was clean and where there were no crowds. But she had begun the regimen of Lucia Rivi. She hesitated. What matter if she began now or put off beginning until after this one last drive?
"No, we will walk," said she.
"But the streets are in frightful condition."
She thrust out a foot covered with a new and shiny storm-rubber.
"Let's drive to the park then. We'll walk there."