ay less.

"Do you think I could scramble through here?" she indicated the sparse
hedge.

"I-- I--"

"I know what I'll do. I'll get the steps." She walked off sedately,
and came back with a small pair of steps, which she opened out on the
narrow flower-bed under the hedge. Then she picked up her skirt and
delicately ascended the rocking ladder till her feet were on a level
with the top of the hedge. She smiled charmingly, savouring the
harmless escapade, and gazing at Edwin. She put out her free hand,
Edwin took it, and she jumped. The steps fell backwards, but she was
safe.

"What a good thing mother didn't see me!" she laughed. Her grave,
sympathetic, almost handsome face was now alive everywhere with a sort
of challenging merriment. She was only pretending that it was a good
thing her mother had not seen her: a delicious make-believe. Why, she
was as motherly as her mother! In an instant her feet were choosing
their way and carrying her with grace and stateliness across the mire of
the unformed garden. She was the woman of the world, and Edwin the raw
boy. The harmony and dignity of her movements charmed and intimidated
Edwin. Compare her to Maggie... That she was hatless added piquancy.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

TWO.

They went into the echoing bare house, crunching gravel and dry clay on
the dirty, new floors. They were alone together in the house. And all
the time Edwin was thinking: "I've never been through anything like this
before. Never been through anything like this!" And he recalled for a
second the figure of Florence Simcox, the clog-dancer.

And below these images and reflections in his mind was the thought: "I
haven't known what life is! I've been asleep. This is life!"

The upper squares of the drawing-room window were filled with small
leaded diamond-shaped panes of many colours. It was the latest fashion
in domestic glazing. The effect was at once rich and gorgeous. She
liked it.

"It will be beautiful on this side in the late afternoon," she murmured.
"What a nice room!"

Their eyes met, and she transmitted to him her joy in his joy at the
admirableness of the house.

He nodded. "By Jove!" he thought. "She's a splendid girl. There can't
be many girls knocking about as fine as she is!"

"And when the garden's full of flowers!" she breathed in rapture. She
was thinking, "Strange, nice boy! He's so romantic. Al