Tita, in the frankest fashion in all their interviews, has told him that she doesn't care a fig about him, that she was marrying him _only_ to escape from Uncle George! All their interviews have been but few.

Sir Maurice had run down from here, and there, and everywhere, just for a night at a time, arriving barely in time for dinner, and going away before breakfast.
Once, and once only, he had seen Mrs.Bethune.Those other times she had been confined to her room with neuralgia (what should we all do without neuralgia ?), or with letters to write, or something, _any_thing else.
That one time she came out of the library at the very moment he had arrived.

They met in the hall, and it was quite impossible to avoid seeing him.

She came forward with a charming air.
"Is it you?
How long since we have met!" said she.

Her tone was evenness itself; she was smiling brightly.