"
She was an amiable, if unsentimental person, Mary Lithcom--and was,
quite without ill nature, expressing the consensus of public opinion.
These young women came to the country with something practical
to exchange in these days, and as there were men who had certain
equivalents to offer, so also there were men who had none, and whom
decency should cause to stand aside. Mount Dunstan knew that when she
had said, "Who is there who is suitable?" any shadow of a thought of
himself as being in the running had not crossed her mind. And this was
not only for the reasons she had had the ready composure to name, but
for one less conquerable.
Later, having left Mary Lithcom, he decided to take a turn by himself.
He had done his duty as a masculine guest. He had conversed with young
women and old ones, had danced, visited gardens and greenhouses, and
taken his part in all things. Also he had, in fact, reached a point when
a few minutes of solitude seemed a good thing. He found himself turning
into the clipped laurel walk, where Tommy Alanby had stood with Jane
Lithcom, and he went to the end of it and stood looking out on the view.
"Look at the turn of her head," Lady Mary had said. "Look at her mouth
and chin.
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