“Not real love,” she said to herself. “Oh, God, help me to go on believing in that.”
Raising her eyes she saw the evening star sparkling in a wide, soft, clear space of sky. It seemed infinitely pure and remote, and yet somehow good and kind, as it had to Dante when he climbed up out of hell.
“Quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle.”
“Ora si chiude!” bawled a gardener from the Belvedere.
Mamie came hurrying up the path towards the hill. “Oh, are you there?” she said in some confusion. “I went some of the way to the other gate with Daisy.”
“I was beginning to be afraid you were lost, so I came along hoping to meet you,” answered Olive.
She said nothing to the girl of what she had seen. It would have been useless; nothing could alter or abash her inherent unmorality. But after dinner she wrote a note to Edna and went out herself to post it.
The answer came at noon on the following day. Miss Marvel would be at home and alone between three and four and would be pleased to see Miss Agar then; meanwhile she remained very sincerely her friend.