Page:The Painted Veil - Maugham - 1925.djvu/252

 “Of course I did.”

“But how did you know I was coming?”

“Mr. Waddington sent me a telegram.”

Kitty turned away. She had a lump in her throat. It was funny that a little unexpected kindness should so affect her. She did not want to cry; she wished Dorothy Townsend would go away. But Dorothy took the hand that was hanging by Kitty’s side and pressed it. It embarrassed Kitty that this shy woman should be so demonstrative.

“I want you to do me a great favour. Charlie and I want you to come and stay with us while you’re in Hong-Kong.”

Kitty snatched her hand away.

“It’s awfully kind of you. I couldn’t possibly.”

“But you must. You can’t go and live all by yourself in your own house. It would be dreadful for you. I’ve prepared everything. You shall have your own sitting-room. You can have your meals there if you don’t care to have them with us. We both want you to come.”

“I wasn’t thinking of going to the house. I was going to get myself a room at the Hong-Kong Hotel. I couldn’t possibly put you to so much trouble.”

The suggestion had taken her by surprise. She was confused and vexed. If Charlie had had any sense of decency he would never have allowed his wife to make the invitation. She did not wish to be under an obligation to either of them.

“Oh, but I couldn’t bear the idea of your living at a hotel. And you’d hate the Hong-Kong Hotel just now. With all those people about and the band