Will you sit down ?" She had moved away from the piano, and gone over to a window-seat, sinking on to it, with her hands clasped in her lap.

Light fell on her there, so that Soames could see her face, eyes, hair, strangely as he remembered them, strangely beautiful.
He sat down on the edge of a satinwood chair, upholstered with silver-coloured stuff, close to where he was standing.
"You have not changed," he said.
"No?
What have you come for ?" "To discuss things." "I have heard what you want from your cousin." "Well ?" "I am willing.

I have always been." The sound of her voice, reserved and close, the sight of her figure watchfully poised, defensive, was helping him now.

A thousand memories of her, ever on the watch against him, stirred, and....
"Perhaps you will be good enough, then, to give me information on which I can act.

The law must be complied with." "I have none to give you that you don't know of." "Twelve years! Do you suppose I can believe that ?" "I don't suppose you will believe anything I say; but it's the truth." Soames looked at her hard.