Then she looked at the pair beside her--at the alert brightness in the man's strong and quiet face as he sat stooping forward, with his hands upon his knees, hardly able to keep his eyes for an instant from the dark apparition beside him--at the girl's evident shyness and pride.
"My dear!" she said, turning suddenly to Miss Raeburn, "have you heard what a monstrosity Alice has produced this last time in the way of a baby?
It was born with four teeth!" Miss Raeburn's astonishment fitted the provocation, and the two old friends fell into a gossip on the subject of Lady Winterbourne's numerous family, which was clearly meant for a _tete-a-tete_.
"Will you come and look at our tapestry ?" said Aldous to his neighbour, after a few nothings had passed between them as to the weather and her walk from Mellor.

"I think you would admire it, and I am afraid my grandfather will be a few minutes yet.

He hoped to get home earlier than this, but his Board meeting was very long and important, and has kept him an unconscionable time." Marcella rose, and they moved together towards the south end of the room where a famous piece of Italian Renaissance tapestry entirely filled the wall from side to side.
"How beautiful!" cried the girl, her eyes filling with delight.

"What a delicious thing to live with." And, indeed, it was the most adorable medley of forms, tints, suggestions, of gods and goddesses, nymphs and shepherds, standing in flowery grass under fruit-laden trees and wreathed about with roses.
Both colour and subject were of fairyland.

The golds and browns and pinks of it, the greens and ivory whites had been mellowed and pearled and warmed by age into a most glowing, delicate, and fanciful beauty.