I looked carefully away from Millicent, and turned to Bassishaw.
“Yes?” he said appreciatively. “And what happened?”
“I fancy,” I continued, “that she always met me on my side of the stile, so that we always had to get over it.”
Bassishaw seemed to approve the strategy.
“Nice girl?” he asked.
“She combined,” I replied, “the harmlessness of the dove with the wisdom of the serpent, for she used to feel tired when we got there, and rest. There was just room for two.”
Caroline was interested.
“And when was this, Rollo?” she asked.
“My dear Carrie,” I returned, “you had just begun German; you were at school. Well, this woman of mine would pull a flower to pieces, or light a cigarette for me, or some such foolishness. She knew the exact distance at which her hair would touch my face if it were a little tumbled. And so on.”
Millicent made the criticism that the least she could have done under the circumstances was to have sprained her ankle.