She left the window, and came at once, quietly and decently into the room.
‘Why,’ said Mrs Johnson, ‘for a moment I sure thought you’d walked out on us again. This is …’ she continued, ‘that is, I’d like you to meet …’
‘My name is Rafferty,’ said the mild man, coming forward with considerable bland confidence. ‘I’ve come to take you down with me to town, where there are folks who’ll make you comfortable.’
He looked at Theodora, sharing a secret and not.
She laughed.
‘You Americans,’ she said, ‘make life positively pneumatic. But how agreeable.’
And she held her head on one side as she had seen ladies do on receiving and thanking for a cup of tea.
Then they all laughed.
‘Shall we be getting along then?’ Rafferty asked.
‘Yes, Doctor,’ Theodora agreed.
They went outside towards the hot car.
‘Here,’ said Mrs Johnson. ‘I brought your hat, that you forgot.’
So Theodora Goodman took her hat and put it on her head, as it was suggested she should do. Her face was long and yellow under the great black hat. The hat sat straight, but the doubtful rose trembled and glittered, leading a life of its own.