Alice bowed and held out her hand, in her usual good-natured way.
"We thought you were a poor, tired Londoner," she remarked with a smile, "and lo! you come from the North."
"I live in Richmond now," Bernard remarked quietly. "I have a--position in a school there."
"Indeed?" Alice was regarding him critically. He was a gentleman, handsome, too, and he looked good. But he was also rather shabby: there was no doubt about that; and she did not think Doris looked particularly pleased to see him. There was an expression of apprehension in her eyes which Alice had never seen there before.
"Do you live here?" Bernard asked Doris.
"No, no. We have only come over for the day."
"Where are you living?"
Doris made no reply. She stopped the answer Alice was about to make by a beseeching look.
"We have not any time to spare for visitors," she said, rather lamely.
"Will you allow me to walk with you a little way?" he asked. "Or perhaps," he hesitated, looking at Alice uneasily--"perhaps you will sit here with me a little while? There is--is--room for three on this seat."