The woman held some ferns in her hand, and the boy was sitting down and resting his chin on his hands, which were folded on the top of a stick.
"Stop here for a moment," Bettina said to the coachman.

"I want to ask that woman a question." She had thought that she might discover if her sister was at the Court.
She realised that to know would be a point of advantage.

She leaned forward and spoke.
"I beg your pardon," she said, "I wonder if you can tell me----" The woman came forward a little.

She had a listless step and a faded, listless face.
"What did you ask ?" she said.
Betty leaned still further forward.
"Can you tell me----" she began and stopped.

A sense of stricture in the throat stopped her, as her eyes took in the washed-out colour of the thin face, the washed-out colour of the thin hair--thin drab hair, dragged in straight, hard unbecomingness from the forehead and cheeks.
Was it true that her heart was thumping, as she had heard it said that agitation made hearts thump?
She began again.
"Can you--tell me if--Lady Anstruthers is at home ?" she inquired.