again met his look. She guessed who this must be. The kindness
of his face as he stood before her caused her to speak the words she
was thinking:

'Are you Mr. Egremont, sir?'

Then she was shocked at her boldness; she did not see the smile with
which he replied:

'Yes, that is my name.'

'I am Miss Trent. Perhaps you have--perhaps Mr. Grail has told you--'

This, Miss Trent? This, Gilbert Grail's wife? His astonishment scarcely
allowed him to relieve her promptly.

'Oh then, we already know each other, by name at least. You have come
to look at the building. Mr. Grail is downstairs?'

'No, sir. I came in alone. I thought I should like to see--'

'Of course. You have been over the house?'

He wondered rather at her coming alone, but supposed that Grail was
withheld by some business.

'Yes, sir,' she answered.

'I'm afraid you think it doesn't look very promising. But I'm sure we
can do a great deal to improve it.'

'I think it's very nice,' Thyrza said, not at all out of politeness,
but because she did indeed think so.

'I will do my best to make it so, as soon as it is vacant. These two
rooms,' he added, loth to take leave at once, 'we shall use for
lectures. Have you been into the other one?'

He led the way, taking up his hat from the desk. Thyrza was overcoming
her timidity. All she had ever heard of Egremont prepared her to find
him full of gentleness and courtesy and good-humour; already she
thought that far too little had been said in his praise. His singular
smile occupied her imagination; she wished to keep her eyes on his
face, for the pleasure of following its changes. Indeed, like her own,
his features were very mobile, and the various emotions now stirring
within him animated his look. She kept at a little distance from him,
and listened with the keenest interest to all he said. When he paused,
after telling her the number of books he had decided to begin with, she
said:

'Mr. Grail does so look forward to it. I'm sure nothing could have made
him so happy.'

Egremont was pleased with a note of sincerity, of self forgetfulness in
these words. He replied:

'I am very glad. I know he'll be at home among books. Are you fond of
reading?'

'Yes, sir. Mr. Grail lends me books, and explains what I don't
understand.'

'No doubt you will find plenty of time.'

'Yes, sir. I shan't go to work then. But of course there'll be the
house to look after.'

Egremont glanced towards the windows an