The waiter appeared. Gerald glanced at the glasses of the other two. Birkin was drinking something green, Miss Darrington had a small liqueur glass that was empty save for a tiny drop.

‘Won’t you have some more — ?’

‘Brandy,’ she said, sipping her last drop and putting down the glass. The waiter disappeared.

‘No,’ she said to Birkin. ‘He doesn’t know I’m back. He’ll be terrified when he sees me here.’

She spoke her r’s like w’s, lisping with a slightly babyish pronunciation which was at once affected and true to her character. Her voice was dull and toneless.

‘Where is he then?’ asked Birkin.