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hour; he wanted to get a look at her face. She walked slow-
ly along and turned down Air Street and so got through
into Regent Street. She walked up again towards the Circus.
Philip was puzzled. He could not make out what she was
doing. Perhaps she was waiting for somebody, and he felt
a great curiosity to know who it was. She overtook a short
man in a bowler hat, who was strolling very slowly in the
same direction as herself; she gave him a sidelong glance
as she passed. She walked a few steps more till she came
to Swan and Edgar’s, then stopped and waited, facing the
road. When the man came up she smiled. The man stared
at her for a moment, turned away his head, and sauntered
on. Then Philip understood.
He was overwhelmed with horror. For a moment he felt
such a weakness in his legs that he could hardly stand; then
he walked after her quickly; he touched her on the arm.
‘Mildred.’
She turned round with a violent start. He thought that
she reddened, but in the obscurity he could not see very
well. For a while they stood and looked at one another with-
out speaking. At last she said:
‘Fancy seeing you!’
He did not know what to answer; he was horribly shaken;
and the phrases that chased one another through his brain
seemed incredibly melodramatic.
‘It’s awful,’ he gasped, almost to himself.
She did not say anything more, she turned away from
him, and looked down at the pavement. He felt that his face
was distorted with misery.

Of Human Bondage