Page 484 - sons-and-lovers

‘And what have you been doing lately?’
‘I—oh, not much! I made a sketch of Bestwood from the
garden, that is nearly right at last. It’s the hundredth try.’
So they went on. Then she said:
‘You’ve not been out, then, lately?’
‘Yes; I went up Clifton Grove on Monday afternoon with
Clara.’
‘It was not very nice weather,’ said Miriam, ‘was it?’
‘But I wanted to go out, and it was all right. The Trent
IS full.’
‘And did you go to Barton?’ she asked.
‘No; we had tea in Clifton.’
‘DID you! That would be nice.’
‘It was! The jolliest old woman! She gave us several pom-
pom dahlias, as pretty as you like.’
Miriam bowed her head and brooded. He was quite un-
conscious of concealing anything from her.
‘What made her give them you?’ she asked.
He laughed.
‘Because she liked us—because we were jolly, I should
think.’
Miriam put her finger in her mouth.
‘Were you late home?’ she asked.
At last he resented her tone.
‘I caught the seven-thirty.’
‘Ha!’
They walked on in silence, and he was angry.
‘And how IS Clara?’ asked Miriam.
‘Quite all right, I think.’