When they got back to “Seahill,” he disappeared into the garage to prepare the car for use. She was left for a few moments with Helen.
Their conversation (lasting for two minutes) was full of amazing things.
Helen began it.
“Well,” she said, “what do you think of him?”
“He’s very clever.”
“Yes,” agreed Helen, surprisingly, “and like all clever men he is rather stupid. He’s so stupid that he thinks I don’t understand him.”
Pause. Catherine was too much astonished to reply.
“Of course he doesn’t love me,” she went on. “I know that, though he thinks I don’t.... I shouldn’t be at all surprised if he loves you.”
Pause.
“Though of course you and he would never get on at all well together. You’re not suited.... Now we (he and I) get on splendidly. I help him with his literary work. The other day he said to me (I had just finished typing at his dictation): ‘Helen, it’s just splendid to think that you do all this stuff because you take a living interest in it and not on my account!’ I was frightfully pleased: I think it was the best compliment he’s ever paid me.”