‘I believe you thought I was only a girl, Mr Wooster,’ Dot said with a merry laugh as she stood up with her beautiful darling in her arms for inspection.
[p 70]
]Mr Sullivan Wooster was certainly looking as thunderstruck as if the pretty bundle of muslin, and lace and sweetness she held had been a phoenix instead of the dearest little baby in the world.
‘I never dreamt,’ he began. ‘I quite thought—I certainly imagined Mrs Ingram said Miss Armitage; as well—,’ his eyes sought her little bare left hand.
Dot laughed that happy little laugh of hers again. She went over to the Canterbury and emptied a small Dresden cup upon her palm.
‘I always take my rings off before I play,’ she said, ‘it’s a pernicious habit, I know; my husband is always trying to break me of it, but I really do it unconsciously. I never can play properly with them on.’
After that, of course, he paid dutiful, expected court to the baby, and made the correct remarks about its eyes and long eyelashes and the quantity of its hair. But he no longer thought the occurrence an enchanted dream that might fade any minute. [p 71] ]The baby gnawing thoughtfully at its dear little shoe as it sat on the hearthrug, while Dot poured out tea, gave a surprising air of reality to everything.
The rain had not ceased for a moment, so there was good enough excuse for Mr Wooster’s prolonged stay, but Dot was greatly astonished to see Larrie come up the path presently, and know it was half-past five. She excused herself and slipped out to meet him. He came in cold, wet, and cross. It struck him how bright Dot’s face was and how exceedingly beautiful she was looking as she opened the door for him.
‘I have a visitor here, Larrie,’ she said in a whisper, ‘be quick and get your mackintosh off. It is Mr Sullivan Wooster and he is so nice; don’t stay to change your coat.’
But ‘Confound him!’ said Larrie.
He wanted Dot and Dot only just now. All the day he had had an unutterable longing to take her in his arms and beg her to let them start afresh, and make life a beautiful thing again. And now there was a visitor here.