He frowned. But he did not frown in anger.
"We have made a dreadful hash of things, haven't we?" he said.
"Do you still want to divorce me?
I don't think I care any more."
"You must know that by bringing you here I've condoned* the offence."
"I didn't know.
You see, I haven't made a study of infidelity.
What are we going to do then when we leave here?
Are we going on living together?"
"Oh, don't you think we can let the future take care of itself?"
There was the weariness of death in his voice.
LVIII
TWO or three days later Waddington fetched Kitty from the convent (for her restlessness had induced her immediately to resume her work) and took her to drink the promised cup of tea with his mistress.
Kitty had on more than one occasion dined at Waddington's house.
It was a square, white, and pretentious building, such as the Customs build for their officials all over China; and the dining-room in which they ate, the drawing-room in which they sat, were furnished with prim and solid furniture.
They had the appearance of being partly offices and partly hotel; there was nothing homelike in them and you understood that these houses were merely places of haphazard sojourn to their successive occupants.
It would never have occurred to you that on an upper floor mystery and perhaps romance dwelt shrouded.
They ascended a flight of stairs and Waddington opened a door.
Kitty went into a large, bare room with whitewashed walls on which hung scrolls in various calligraphies.
At a square table, on a stiff arm-chair, both of blackwood and heavily carved, sat the Manchu.
She rose as Kitty and Waddington entered, but made no step forward.
"Here she is," said Waddington, and added something in Chinese.
Kitty shook hands with her.
She was slim in her long embroidered gown and somewhat taller than Kitty, used to the Southern people, had expected.
She wore a jacket of pale green silk with tight sleeves that came over her wrists and on her black hair, elaborately dressed, was the head-dress of the Manchu women.
Her face was coated with powder and her cheeks from the eyes to the mouth heavily rouged; her plucked eyebrows were a thin dark line and her mouth was scarlet.
From this mask her black, slightly slanting, large eyes burned like lakes of liquid jet.
She seemed more like an idol than a woman.
Her movements were slow and assured.
Kitty had the impression that she was slightly shy but very curious.
She nodded her head two or three times, looking at Kitty, while Waddington spoke of her.
Kitty noticed her hands; they were preternaturally long, very slender, of the colour of ivory; and the exquisite nails were painted.
Kitty thought she had never seen anything so lovely as those languid and elegant hands.
They suggested the breeding of uncounted centuries.
She spoke a little, in a high voice, like the twittering of birds in an orchard, and Waddington, translating, told Kitty that she was glad to see her; how old was she and how many children had she got?
They sat down on three straight chairs at the square table and a boy brought in bowls of tea, pale and scented with jasmine.
The Manchu lady handed Kitty a green tin of Three Castles cigarettes.
Beside the table and the chairs the room contained little furniture; there was a wide pallet bed on which was an embroidered head rest and two sandalwood chests.
"What does she do with herself all day long?" asked Kitty.
"She paints a little and sometimes she writes a poem.
But she mostly sits.
She smokes, but only in moderation, which is fortunate, since one of my duties is to prevent the traffic in opium."
"Do you smoke?" asked Kitty.
"Seldom.
To tell you the truth I much prefer whisky."
There was in the room a faintly acrid smell; it was not unpleasant, but peculiar and exotic.
"Tell her that I am sorry I cannot talk to her.
I am sure we have many things to say to one another."
When this was translated to the Manchu she gave Kitty a quick glance in which there was the hint of a smile.
She was impressive as she sat, without embarrassment, in her beautiful clothes; and from the painted face the eyes looked out wary, self-possessed, and unfathomable.