Chapter IV

His eyes had followed her at this time quite long
enough, before he overtook her, to make out more
than ever, in the poise of her head, the pride of her
step he didn't know what best to call it a part,
at least, of Mrs. Lowder's reasons. He consciously
winced while he figured his presenting himself as
a reason opposed to these; though, at the same
moment, with the source of Aunt Maud's inspira
tion thus before him, he was prepared to conform,
by almost any abject attitude or profitable com
promise, to his companion's easy injunction. He
would do as she liked his own liking might come
off as it would. He would help her to the utmost
of his power; for, all the rest of that day and the
next, her easy injunction, tossed off that way as
she turned her beautiful back, was like the crack
of a great whip in the blue air, the high element in
which Mrs. Lowder hung. He wouldn't grovel
perhaps he wasn't quite ready for that; but he
would be patient, ridiculous, reasonable, unreason
able, and above all deeply diplomatic. He would
be clever, with all his cleverness which he now
shook hard, as he sometimes shook his poor, dear,
shabby, old watch, to start it up again. It wasn t,
thank goodness, as if there weren't plenty of that,

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v?