A lady and gentleman, both English, come into the garden.
The gentleman, more than elderly, is facing old age on
compulsion, not resignedly. He is clean shaven, and has a brainy
rectangular forehead, a resolute nose with strongly governed
nostrils, and a tightly fastened down mouth which has evidently
shut in much temper and anger in its time. He has a habit of
deliberately assumed authority and dignity, but is trying to
take life more genially and easily in his character of tourist,
which is further borne out by his white hat and summery
racecourse attire.

The lady is between thirty and forty, tall, very goodlooking,
sympathetic, intelligent, tender and humorous, dressed with
cunning simplicity not as a businesslike, tailor made, gaitered
tourist, but as if she lived at the next cottage and had dropped
in for tea in blouse and flowered straw hat. A woman of great
vitality and humanity, who begins a casual acquaintance at the
point usually attained by English people after thirty years
acquaintance when they are capable of reaching it at all. She
pounces genially on Drinkwater, who is smirking at her, hat in
hand, with an air of hearty welcome. The gentleman, on the other
hand, comes down the side of the garden next the house,
instinctively maintaining a distance between himself and the
others.

THE LADY (to Drinkwater). How dye do? Are you the missionary?

DRINKWATER (modestly). Naow, lidy, aw will not deceive you, thow
the mistike his but netral. Awm wanne of the missionary's good