He walked on, as far as the little wooden hut on the hill, and during a pause to light his pipe someone (he could not see who at first) came up to him and said something.

“Leni!” he exclaimed, and then found himself speechless with surprise.

“Yes, I often come here in the evenings. Have you any news of Gerald?”

David flinched at the question. “Yes, I call and see him every day.”

“How is he?”

“Not very happy, I’m afraid.”

“It is so silly that I cannot still look after him.”

They walked on silently, and in a little gap of moonlight between the trees he began to study the outline of her face, the long slender nose, the forehead straight and ample. All at once he knew that he had her in memory forever, could trace that profile with closed eyes, every curve and line in precious ease to his imagination;.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“You and what is to happen to you.”

“I shall get a job.”

“Yes, and next time you oughtn’t to go in for these second-rate things — Pierrots at the seaside and the kind of show you were in when you first came here. I think you ought to try some really good theatre — in London.”

She smiled, knowing the absurdity of it all. Their worlds were different, their ages were different, their lives and languages were different; yet all those differences became themselves absurd when measured against the flash of recognition that sprang between them at every nearness. She said, touching his arm as she walked: “Ah … du kleine doktor … I am not so good as that … You have never seen me dance, have you?”

He shook his head. “What sort of dancing do you do?”

“Some day I would like to show you. But I am not very good. Maybe if I could have stayed in Petersburg and worked hard for years at the school there —”

He said, quite seriously: “Yes, I’m afraid we haven’t any good dancing school in Calderbury. It’s a pity your career had to be interrupted.”

“But I have been so happy here,” she answered.

CHAPTER FIVE

IT HAD BEEN DAVID’S habit for many years to give a party during the latter half of July, a sort of garden party with music, to which all the notables of Calderbury society were invited. If the weather was warm and fine the French windows were thrown open to the walled garden, and the guests sat about in or out of doors as they chose. No other function in Calderbury’s year offered quite the same features, but it was generally considered that the doctor had established a right to be original and that his party was among the events of the social season. In truth, the originality had arisen merely from the fact that Jessica had wanted a garden party in summer while the doctor preferred a musical evening in winter, and neither wanted both. David had, indeed, a quiet liking for music that led him to join the Calderbury Philharmonic Society and play the violin in string quartets.