“No, Carla....” Mr Heywood drifted between them now.
“Mr Holton?” he asked.
“Oh, Mr Heywood! How do you do, sir?” Robert Holton was impressed as always with Mr Heywood’s greatness and this both saddened and pleased Mr Heywood.
“I had thought ...” began Mr Heywood in a barely audible voice.
“This,” said Holton quickly on top of Mr Heywood’s words, “is Mrs Bankton, an old friend of mine. Mr Heywood.”
The meeting was made and Mr Heywood was rather attracted to this pretty girl who spoke English so beautifully and yet with an accent.
“I thought I should find you here, Mr Holton. Mrs Stevanson was telling me about you.”
“That was nice of her.”
“She is a charming woman,” said Mr Heywood, praising an absent person about whom they all cared very little; it filled the first awkwardness of a meeting such as this. “You enjoy being downtown?” He was careful not to associate himself with Holton’s job.
“Oh, very much,” said Holton.