absencecouldonlybeduetosomemasculinecause.Mentallysheshruggedhershoulders,hardlywonderingwhothecreaturewas.
“Ofcourse,”shethought,“it’scertaintobesomeonequiteineligible.Ihopetheywon’thavealongengagement.”
MissLeycouldnothavesupportedforseveralmonthsthepresenceofabashfulandlove-sickswain.Shefoundloversinvariablyridiculous.ShewatchedBerthadrinksixcupsoftea:ofcoursethoseshiningeyes,theflushedcheeksandthebreathlessness,indicatedsomeamorousexcitementitamusedher,butshethoughtitcharitableandwisetopretendthatshenoticednothing.
“Afterallit’snobusinessofmine,”shethought“andifBerthaisgoingtogetmarriedatall,itwouldbemuchmoreconvenientforhertodoitbeforenextquarter-day,whentheBrownsgiveupmyflat.”
MissLeysatonthesofabythefireside,awomanofmiddle-size,veryslight,withathinandmuchwrinkledface.Ofherfeaturesthemouthwasthemostnoticeable,notlarge,withlipsthatwerealittletoothinitwasalwayssotightlycompressedastogiveheranairofgreatdetermination,buttherewasaboutthecornersanexpressivemobility,contradictinginratheranunusualmannertheinferenceswhichmightbedrawnfromtherestofherperson.Shehadahabitoffixinghercoldeyesonpeoplewithasteadinessthatwasnotalittleembarrassing.TheysaidMissLeylookedasifshethoughtthemgreatfools,andasamatteroffactthatusuallywasherpreciseopinion.Herthingrayhairwasveryplainlydoneandtheextremesimplicityofhercostumegaveacertainprimness,sothatherfavouritemethodofsayingratherabsurdthingsinthegravestandmostdecorousmanneroftendisconcertedthecasualstranger.Shewasawomanwho,onefelt,hadneverbeenhandsome,butnow,inmiddle-age,wasdistinctlyprepossessing.
Youngmenthoughthersomewhatterrifyingtilltheydiscoveredthattheyweretoheraconstantsourceofamusementwhileelderlyladiesassertedthatshewasalittlequeer.
“You