The chauffeur and footman both wore livery which
was almost white. Inside a swinging vase of flowers was
suspended from the roof. A man and a woman leaned back in
luxurious easy-chairs. The man was dark and had the look of a
foreigner. The woman was very fair. She wore a long ermine
cloak and a tiara of pearls.
Tavernake, whose interest in the passing throngs was entirely
superficial, found himself for some reason curiously attracted by
this glimpse into a world of luxury of which he knew nothing;
attracted, too, by the woman's delicate face with its uncommon
type of beauty. Their eyes met as he stood there, stolid and
motionless, framed in the doorway. Tavernake continued to stare,
unmindful, perhaps unconscious, of the rudeness of his action.
The woman, after a moment, glanced away at the shopwindow. A
sudden thought seemed to strike her. She spoke through the tube
at her side and turned to her companion. Meanwhile, the footman,
leaning from his place, held out his arm in warning and the car
was slowly backed to the side of the pavement. The lady felt for
a moment in a bag of white satin which lay upon the round table
in front of her, and handed a slip of paper through the open
window to the servant who had already descended and was standing
waiting. He came at once towards the shop, passing Tavernake,
who remained in the door-way.
"Will you make this up at once, please?" he directed, handing the
paper across to the chemist.
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