an? She lost all her old
silliness and inefficiency--or at any rate only retained enough of
the old childishness to make her endearing. And I really grew to
love her. I quite forgot you. Yes: I admit it....

"But somehow, after she was dead the old feeling for you came back
... and without any disloyalty to Linda. I felt in a way--I know it
is an absurd thing for a man of science to say, for we have still no
proof--I felt somehow as though she lived still. That's why I don't
want to get rid of the Park Crescent house. Her presence seems to
linger there. But I also knew--instinctively--that she would like us
to come together.... She..."

_Waiter_ (knocking at door and slightly opening it): "Madame! Le
General Tompkins veut vous voir. Il ajoute qu'il n'est pas habitue a
attendre. Il y a aussi M'sieur Emile Vandervelde, qui arrive
instamment et qui n'a pas d'installation..."

_Rossiter_: "Damn! Let me go and settle with 'em. Tompkins! I never
heard such cheek--"

_Vivien_: "Not at all. You forget I am Manageress." (To Waiter)
"Entrez done! Dites au General que je serai a sa disposition dans
trois minutes; et montrez-lui ce que nous avons en fait de chambres.
Tous les appartements avec bain sont pris. Casez M'sieur Vandervelde
quelque part. Du reste, je descendrai."... (Waiter goes out) ...
"Michael! It is impossible to have a sentimental conversation here,
and at this hour--Eleven o'clock on a busy morning. If you want an
answer to your second question, now you've seen me, meet me outside
the Palm House of the Jardin Botanique, at 3 p.m. I'll get off
somehow for an hour just then. Don't forget! It's close by
here--along the Rue Royale. Be absolutely punctual, or else I shall
think that having _seen_ me, seen how changed I am, you have altered
your mind. I shall _quite_ understand; only I _may_ come back at
five minutes past three and accept General Tompkins. Acquaintances
ripen quickly in Brussels."

* * * * *

In the Palm House--or rather one of its many compartments; 3.5 p.m.,
on a beautiful afternoon in early December. The sun is sinking over
outspread Brussels in a pink and yellow haze radiating from the
good-humoured-looking, orange orb. There are no other visitors to
the Palm House, at any rate not to this compartment, except the
superintending gardener--the same that cheered the last hours of
Mrs. Warren. He recognizes Vivien and salutes her gravely. Seeing
that she is accompa