Did I frighten you, darling? You
looked so much like an angel that you half-frightened me. What have you
been doing to yourself? You were round and soft the last time I held
you. There is some change."
"You should have seen me two months ago," I said, "when I was going to
die of marrying any man but you."
"Ah, Bawn, darling, is it only that you are taking pity on my white
head? What is it that you see in me? I am twice your age, child."
"And the finest gentleman in the three kingdoms," I said, stroking his
hair. "So fine a gentleman that you are out of date. The commonplace
world doesn't grow fine gentlemen like you nowadays."
Afterwards we had our first meal together. They would not expect me back
yet to lunch, and Anthony had arrived hungry as a hunter, while he
protested that a man as much in love as he had no right to be hungry.
He had walked in unexpectedly, but Terence had not been taken by
surprise. Terence had things ready as though he had known the day and
hour of his coming. He served us as excellent a meal, according to my
Anthony, as had ever been eaten. As for me, I did not know what it
consisted of, but only that Anthony and I sat opposite to each other and
that Anthony's eyes upon me made me sometimes fain to cover my own with
my hands, and that when Terence Murphy went out of the room Anthony
would come round the table to kiss me.
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