Chapter 4

           Indeed,healmostknockedhereaselover,comingdownuponherwithhishandswavingshoutingout,"Boldlywerodeandwell,"but,mercifully,heturnedsharp,androdeoff,todiegloriouslyshesupposedupontheheightsofBalaclava.Neverwasanybodyatoncesoridiculousandsoalarming.Butsolongashekeptlikethat,waving,shouting,shewassafe;hewouldnotstandstillandlookatherpicture.AndthatwaswhatLilyBriscoecouldnothaveendured.Evenwhileshelookedatthemass,attheline,atthecolour,atMrs.RamsaysittinginthewindowwithJames,shekeptafeeleronhersurroundingslestsomeoneshouldcreepup,andsuddenlysheshouldfindherpicturelookedat.Butnow,withallhersensesquickenedastheywere,looking,straining,tillthecolourofthewallandthejacmannabeyondburntintohereyes,shewasawareofsomeonecomingoutofthehouse,comingtowardsher;butsomehowdivined,fromthefootfall,WilliamBankes,sothatthoughherbrushquivered,shedidnot,asshewouldhavedonehaditbeenMr.Tansley,PaulRayley,MintaDoyle,orpracticallyanybodyelse,turnhercanvasuponthegrass,butletitstand.WilliamBankesstoodbesideher.

           Theyhadroomsinthevillage,andso,walkingin,walkingout,partinglateondoor-mats,hadsaidlittlethingsaboutthesoup,aboutthechildren,aboutonethingandanotherwhichmadethemallies;sothatwhenhestoodbesidehernowinhisjudicialway(hewasoldenoughtobeherfathertoo,abotanist,awidower,smellingofsoap,veryscrupulousandclean)shejuststoodthere.