no doubt had objected elizabeth was very fond of frank and managed generally to find excellent excuses for his little when she had recovered from her first feeling of irritation too she really was not sure whether it was not rather a relief to feel that some stranger would be at her brother in law s whose presence would make i mrs part i all intimate conversation impossible poor elizabeth had decided to her heart against the past on the day that she laid away her husband s picture sometimes fortunately for us our nature is stronger than our will elizabeth had determined to do violence to her own best instincts but the instincts were by no means dead they stirred within her and gave her a good deal of trouble at times mrs frank s little dinners were always charming they were pretty and they were excellent too mrs frank herself was always delightfully dressed and she had the faculty � which belongs to some women � of keeping you continually aware not merely of what she said but of herself you never forgot that you were in the company of a pretty young woman whose self was more important than either the clothes she wore or the words she said elizabeth who for so long had enjoyed no more lively or inspiring society than a sick room or the somewhat neighbourhood of afforded found herself pleasantly in the intelligent and genial atmosphere of the frank house it was to be with people of her own age to feel that she might say what she liked without any fear of treading on forbidden ground it was refreshing to listen to her companions light gossip and easy criticism to move in their atmosphere she had an uncomfortable sense now and then that watched her rather keenly and tried to draw her out on one or two subjects he did both very gracefully but elizabeth was inclined to resent any appearance of ch xii a sketch in black and white interest on his part she connected him with certain feelings of annoyance and was disposed to find fault with him on the slightest provocation after dinner when the little party had returned to the drawing room and � who were standing together in front of the fire � had a pretty sharp over one of their mutual acquaintances i simply can t understand why you all admire so much mr she said and i can t imagine anybody less fitted for the stage just think of his figure he has such a remarkably bad way of moving why my dear mrs his figure is just his strong point everybody admits that it will make him quite a reputation indeed the public must be easily pleased she answered now can you pretend to tell me that he won t be perfectly appalling in or just think of the severe simplicity of he is pretty i admit but that s a mere matter of colouring � he ll lose it very soon then he looks so foolish � poor said frank must be very fond of him oh i m not the least prejudiced against him said mrs frank quickly i am calm and i let my imagination play quite freely round the subject which we know is the sure sign of high culture it is you who are all prejudiced you are all she added waving her firm little white hands all utterly that s my opinion mrs part i it s no good said frank who had been standing near them turning away and across the room towards elizabeth who was sitting on a broad at right angles to the fireplace never will have the slightest mercy on poor dear and he really is the most innocent creature in the world frank gathered up the tails of his evening coat in either hand and subsided comfortably on to the seat by her side elizabeth had been listening with some amusement to the conversation she was leaning back lazily with her head thrown up and resting against the dusky red covering of the back of the as frank sat down she turned her face towards him without otherwise shifting her easy graceful position and gave him a quiet smile of welcome the evening had gone so brightly and pleasantly thus far that frank had pretty well forgotten the feeling which had prompted him to beg his wife to let some be present on this occasion as elizabeth smiled at him her youthful beauty and the fact of her struck frank as strangely at he remembered her sweet face haggard with long night watches and strange with the dread of death and separation during the days of weary waiting that he had spent with her only nine months ago instinctively he lowered his voice and fell into a somewhat sentimental key thereby producing exactly the results that he had taken such pains to provide against the day before ch xii a sketch in black and white i am so glad you have come to london elizabeth he said gently i can t help feeling that we have more right to you than anybody else in virtue of � for robert s sake you know he paused a moment and then added it would have pained me very much if circumstances had loosened the tie between us elizabeth smiled rather faintly she too remembered those sad days and nights nine months ago and she struggled against the remembrance she did not answer there was a pause i don t care about artistic dressing and i never shall was saying meanwhile to of course it wouldn t do for me in the least and that no doubt does influence me a little but candidly i think people who go in for it generally look fearfully except on great occasions when they are got up and then there is a certain dressing gown and slippers effect 