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‘That would make her well over thirty,’ said Philip.
At that moment Miss Wilkinson tripped downstairs,
singing a song by Benjamin Goddard. She had put her hat
on, for she and Philip were going for a walk, and she held
out her hand for him to button her glove. He did it awk-
wardly. He felt embarrassed but gallant. Conversation went
easily between them now, and as they strolled along they
talked of all manner of things. She told Philip about Ber-
lin, and he told her of his year in Heidelberg. As he spoke,
things which had appeared of no importance gained a new
interest: he described the people at Frau Erlin’s house; and
to the conversations between Hayward and Weeks, which
at the time seemed so significant, he gave a little twist, so
that they looked absurd. He was flattered at Miss Wilkin-
son’s laughter.
‘I’m quite frightened of you,’ she said. ‘You’re so sarcas-
tic.’
Then she asked him playfully whether he had not had
any love affairs at Heidelberg. Without thinking, he frankly
answered that he had not; but she refused to believe him.
‘How secretive you are!’ she said. ‘At your age is it likely?’
He blushed and laughed.
‘You want to know too much,’ he said.
‘Ah, I thought so,’ she laughed triumphantly. ‘Look at
him blushing.’
He was pleased that she should think he had been a sad
dog, and he changed the conversation so as to make her be-
lieve he had all sorts of romantic things to conceal. He was
angry with himself that he had not. There had been no op-

1 Of Human Bondage