pool the
moment he landed, and she had quickly decided to meet him at the
station, whatever publicity might attend such an act. When he had
praised her for it on alighting from his train she had answered frankly
enough that such things should be taken at a jump. She didn't care
to-day who saw her, and she profited by it for her joy. To-morrow,
inevitably, she should have time to think and then, as inevitably,
would become a baser creature, a creature of alarms and precautions. It
was none the less for to-morrow at an early hour that she had appointed
their next meeting, keeping in mind for the present a particular
obligation to show at Lancaster Gate by six o'clock. She had given,
with imprecations, her reason--people to tea, eternally, and a promise
to Aunt Maud; but she had been liberal enough on the spot and had
suggested the National Gallery for the morning quite as with an idea
that had ripened in expectancy. They might be seen there too, but
nobody would know them; just as, for that matter, now, in the
refreshment-room to which they had adjourned, they would incur the
notice but, at the worst, of the unacquainted. They would "have
something" there for the facility it would give. Thus had it already
come up for them again that they had no place of convenience.

He found himself on English soil with all sorts of feelings, but he
hadn't quite faced having to reckon with a certain ruefulness in regard
to that subject as one of the strongest. He was aware later on that
there were questions his impatience had shirked; whereby it actually
rather smote him, for want of preparation and assurance, that he had
nowhere to "take" his love. He had taken it thus, at Euston--and on
Kate's own suggestion--into the place where people had beer and buns,
and had ordered tea at a small table in the corner; which, no doubt, as
they were lost in the crowd, did well enough for a stop-gap. It perhaps
did as well as her simply driving with him to the door of his lodging,
which had had to figure as the sole device of his own wit. That wit,
the truth was, had broken down a little at the sharp prevision that
once at his door they would have to hang back. She would have to stop
there, wouldn't come in with him, couldn't possibly; and he shouldn't
be able to ask her, would feel he couldn't without betraying a
deficiency of what would be called, even at their advanced stage,
respect for her: that again was all that was clear except the further