Honeybone's face, wreathed in
wistaria, looked down and demanded in accents that were harsh with alarm
who was there.
"I am the Rector's sister, Mrs. Honeybone," Esther explained.
"I don't care who you are," said Mrs. Honeybone. "You have no business
to go ringing the bell at this time of the evening. It frightened me to
death."
"The Rector asked me to call on you," she pressed.
Mark had already been surprised by Esther's using her brother as an
excuse to visit the house and he was still more surprised by hearing her
speak so politely, so ingratiatingly, it seemed, to this grim woman
embowered in wistaria.
"We lost our way," Esther explained, "and that's why we're so late. The
Rector told me about the water-lily pool, and I should so much like to
see it."
Mrs. Honeybone debated with herself for a moment, until at last with a
grunt of disapproval she came downstairs and opened the front door. The
lily pool, now a lily pool only in name, for it was covered with an
integument of duckweed which in twilight took on the texture of velvet,
was an attractive place set in an enclosure of grass between high grey
walls.
"That's all there is to see," said Mrs. Honeybone.
"Mr. Starling is abroad?" Esther asked.
The housekeeper nodded.
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