His eyes searched the face of the woman before whom he stood, almost eagerly, as though he were conjuring up to himself pictures of her in some former state and trying to reconcile them with her present appearance.

She, on her side, seemed to be realising some secret and indefinable pleasure.

The lines of her beautiful mouth, too often, nowadays, weary and drooping, softened into a quiet, almost mysterious smile.

Her eyes--very large and wonderful eyes they were--seemed to hold some other vision than the vision of this tall, forceful-looking man.

It was a moment which no one, perhaps, except those two themselves realised.
To the lookers-on it seemed only a meeting between two very distinguished and attractive-looking people, naturally interested in each other.
"It is a great pleasure to meet Lady Dredlinton," Wingate said.