To her surprise he was
asking questions in quite a learner's manner, on subjects
connected with the flowers and shrubs that she had known for
years. When after the lapse of a few minutes he spoke at some
length, she considered there was a hard square decisiveness in the
shape of his sentences, as if, unlike her own and Stephen's, they
were not there and then newly constructed, but were drawn forth
from a large store ready-made. They were now approaching the
window to come in again.
'That is a flesh-coloured variety,' said Mrs. Swancourt. 'But
oleanders, though they are such bulky shrubs, are so very easily
wounded as to be unprunable--giants with the sensitiveness of
young ladies. Oh, here is Elfride!'
Elfride looked as guilty and crestfallen as Lady Teazle at the
dropping of the screen. Mrs. Swancourt presented him half
comically, and Knight in a minute or two placed himself beside the
young lady.
A complexity of instincts checked Elfride's conventional smiles of
complaisance and hospitality; and, to make her still less
comfortable, Mrs. Swancourt immediately afterwards left them
together to seek her husband. Mr. Knight, however, did not seem
at all incommoded by his feelings, and he said with light
easefulness:
'So, Miss Swancourt, I have met you at last. You escaped me by a
few minutes only when we were in London.'
'Yes. I found that you had seen Mrs. Swancourt.'
'And now reviewer and reviewed are face to face,' he added
unconcernedly.
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