She gave her guest a low easy-chair by the fire, facing the window, and the talk was all about the lost pocket-book for many minutes, and while Regina listened and sympathised she studied intently the face opposite her. The girl was very fair, light curls of absolute and natural gold showed under her tiny hat, her eyes were large and blue, and surmounted by pale brown eyebrows, most perfectly and delicately arched. The features were exquisite in their refinement, in their delicacy and finish of form. A tiny, straight nose, a little curled upper lip, a most exactly and elaborately curved mouth of scarlet, a ring of small, even teeth, a perfect chin, set on a round column of throat, made up a face of great beauty. The skin was of the colour and appearance of ivory, and, now that the flush was dying away, colourless, except for its even tone of cream. She was exceedingly small, there seemed hardly any body at all in the tight-fitting black velvet gown.
In the large, voluptuous easy-chair she looked like a beautiful little French doll. She explained how her aunt and herself were looking at flats for some friends, and how to-day her aunt had been ill and unable to come, and had begged her to motor to some different addresses, and how she had done so, and made a lot of notes as to prices and conditions—that this was the last to be visited, and that having done that, and coming downstairs, she had missed her book, which contained the whole fruits of her labours, and she was ready to cry with vexation over it, etc., etc.
She talked prettily enough, but Regina saw, long before the recital, with its many repetitions, its unnecessary details, its confused arrangement, was over, the kind of mental equipment she possessed. The losing of the pocket-book was exactly what might have been expected of the silly, feather-headed little creature.
After the pocket-book's loss had been thoroughly deplored, Regina led her into general conversation. She thought possibly, as her visitor's eyes strayed about, they might recognise some of Everest's things, but she did not seem to do so, nor to know the pictures, on which, at Regina's invitation, she expressed some very banal opinions. She seemed to admire the furniture of the flat a good deal more.
Regina, who, like all great natures, had practically the double disposition of male and female in her, was always greatly attracted, as a man is, by beauty and grace in a woman.
She felt no hostility to it, and no jealousy, so that Everest's cousin had appealed to her favourably at first. At the end, however, of half-an-hour the girl had tired and bored her by the inanity of everything she said, and she found herself wondering whether, if the girl married, the husband would shortly after commit suicide or enter a lunatic asylum, or what would be his fate, and she was glad when the visitor said she must go.
"It's been too awfully sweet of you!" she said. "I've enjoyed the rest so much, and feel quite well again.... Good-bye...."
Regina wished her good-bye and accompanied her to the hall. True to English traditions of good breeding, they had conversed all the time without asking each other a single question, or hearing each other's names.
When her visitor had gone, Regina walked over to the fire and gazed long at her own face in the mirror.