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〃Why； yes； thank you；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer。 〃I ought to say； 'An ice；
please；' but I'm really hungry； and〃
〃I'll get you some of the salad；〃 said Mr。 Mavering； with the increased
liking a man feels for a woman when she owns to an appetite。 〃Sit down
here；〃 he added； and he caught a vacant chair toward her。 When he turned
about from doing so； he confronted a young gentleman coming up to Mrs。
Pasmer with a young lady on his arm； and making a very low bow of
relinquishment。
II。
The men looked smilingly at each other without saying anything； and the
younger took in due form the introduction which the young lady gave him。
〃My mother； Mr。 Mavering。〃
〃Mr。 Mavering！〃 cried Mrs。 Pasmer； in a pure astonishment； before she had
time to colour it with a polite variety of more conventional emotions。
She glanced at the two men； and gave a little 〃Oh？〃 of inquiry and
resignation； and then said； demurely； 〃Let me introduce you to Mr。
Mavering； Alice；〃 while the young fellow laughed nervously； and pulled
out his handkerchief； partly to hide the play of his laughter； and partly
to wipe away the perspiration which a great deal more laughing had
already gathered on his forehead。 He had a vein that showed prominently
down its centre； and large； mobile； girlish blue eyes under good brows；
an arched nose； and rather a long face and narrow chin。 He had beautiful
white teeth； as he laughed these were seen set in a jaw that contracted
very much toward the front。 He was tall and slim； and he wore with
elegance the evening dress which Class Day custom prescribes for the
Seniors； in his button…hole he had a club button。
〃I shall not have to ask an introduction to Mr。 Mavering； and you've
robbed me of the pleasure of giving him one to you； Mrs。 Pasmer；〃 he
said。
She heard the young man in the course of a swift review of what she had
said to his father； and with a formless resentment of the father's not
having told her he had a son there； but she answered with the flattering
sympathy she had the use of； 〃Oh； but you won't miss one pleasure out of
so many to…day； Mr。 Mavering； and think of the little dramatic surprise！〃
〃Oh； perfect；〃 he said； with another laugh。 〃I told Miss Pasmer as we
came up。〃
〃Oh； then you were in the surprise； Alice！〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； searching
her daughter's eyes for confession or denial of this little community of
interest。 The girl smiled slightly upon the young man； but not
disapprovingly； and made no other answer to her mother； who went on：
〃Where in the world have you been？ Did Mr。 Munt find you？ Who told you
where I was？ Did you see me？ How did you know I was here？ Was there
ever anything so droll？〃 She did not mean her questions to be answered；
or at least not then； for； while her daughter continued to smile rather
more absently； and young Mavering broke out continuously in his nervous
laugh； and his father stood regarding him with visible satisfaction； she
hummed on； turning to the young man： 〃But I'm quite appalled at Alice's
having monopolised even for a few minutes a whole Seniorand probably an
official Senior at that；〃 she said； with a glance at the pink and white
club button in his coat lapel； 〃and I can't let you stay another instant；
Mr。 Mavering。 I know very well how many demands you have upon you and
you must go back directly to your sisters and your cousins and your
aunts； and all the rest of them； you must indeed。〃
〃Oh no！ Don't drive me away； Mrs。 Pasmer；〃 pleaded the young man；
laughing violently； and then wiping his face。 〃I assure you that I've no
encumbrances of any kind here except my father； and he seems to have been
taking very good care of himself。〃 They all laughed at this； and the
young fellow hurried on： 〃Don't be alarmed at my button； it only means a
love of personal decoration； if that's where you got the notion of my
being an official Senior。 This isn't my spread； I shall hope to welcome
you at Beck Hall after the Tree； and I wish you'd let me be of use to
you。 Wouldn't you like to go round to some of the smaller spreads？ I
think it would amuse you。 And have you got tickets to the Tree； to see
us make fools of ourselves？ It's worth seeing； Mrs。 Pasmer； I assure
you。〃
He rattled on very rapidly but with such a frankness in his urgency； such
amiable kindliness； that Mrs。 Pasmer could not feel that it was pushing。
She looked at her daughter； but she stood as passive in the transaction
as the elder Mavering。 She was taller than her mother； and as she
waited； her supple figure described that fine lateral curve which one
sees in some Louis Quinze portraits； this effect was enhanced by the
fashion of her dress of pale sage green； with a wide stripe or sash of
white dropping down the front； from her delicate waist。 The same simple
combination of colours was carried up into her hat； which surmounted
darker hair than Mrs。 Pasmer's； and a complexion of wholesome pallor； her
eyes were grey and grave； with black brows； and her face； which was
rather narrow； had a pleasing irregularity in the sharp jut of the nose；
in profile the parting of the red lips showed well back into the cheek；
〃I don't know；〃 said Mrs。 Pasmer； in her own behalf； and she added in
his； 〃about letting you take so much trouble；〃 so smoothly that it would
have been quite impossible to detect the point of union in the two
utterances。
〃Well； don't call it names； anyway； Mrs。 Pasmer；〃 pleaded the young man。
〃I thought it was nothing but a pleasure and a privilege〃
〃The fact is；〃 she explained； neither consenting nor refusing； 〃that we
were expecting to meet some friends who had tickets for us〃young
Mavering's face fell〃 and I can't imagine what's happened。〃
〃Oh； let's hope something dreadful；〃 he cried。
Perhaps you know them；〃 she delayed further。 〃Professor Saintsbury！〃
〃Well； rather！ Why； they were here about an hour agoboth of them。
They must have been looking for you。〃
〃Yes； we were to meet them here。 We waited to come out with other
friends； and I was afraid we were late。〃 Mrs。 Pasmer's face expressed a
tempered disappointment； and she looked at her daughter for indications
of her wishes in the circumstances； seeing in her eye a willingness to
accept young Mavering's invitation； she hesitated more decidedly than she
had yet done； for she was； other things being equal； quite willing to
accept it herself。 But other things were not equal； and the whole
situation was very odd。 All that she knew of Mr。 Mavering the elder was
that he was the old friend of John Munt； and she knew far too little of
John Munt； except that he seemed to go everywhere； and to be welcome； not
to feel that his introduction was hardly a warrant for what looked like
an impending intimacy。 She did not dislike Mr。 Mavering； he was
evidently a country person of great self…respect； and no doubt of entire
respectability。 He seemed very intelligent； too。 He was a Harvard man；
he had rather a cultivated manner； or else naturally a clever way of
saying things。 But all that was really nothing； if she knew no more
about him； and she certainly did not。 If she could only have asked her
daughter who it was th