He was engaged in brushing his dusty clothes with a handkerchief, and although he saw her coming, and even moved slowly towards her, continued his occupation with a half-impatient, half-abstracted air.

Her feminine perception was struck with the circumstance that he was in deep black, with scarcely a gleam of white showing even at his throat, and that he wore a tall black hat.

Without knowing anything of social customs, it seemed to her that his dress was inconsistent with his appearance there.
"Good-morning," he said, lifting his hat with a preoccupied air.

"Do you live here ?" "Yes," she said wonderingly.
"Anybody else ?" "My husband." "I mean any other people?
Are there any other houses ?" he said with a slight impatience.
"No." He looked at her and then towards the sea.

"I expect some friends who are coming for me in a boat.