First of all he asked her a great many questions about herself and her family, whereupon she gave him a complete pathological story of the Moons and Quinceys.

And all the time he looked so hard at her that it was quite embarrassing.

His eyes seemed to be taking her in (no other eyes had ever performed that act of hospitality for Miss Quincey).

He pulled out a little book from his pocket and made notes of everything she said; Miss Quincey's biography was written in that little book (you may be sure nobody else had ever thought of writing it).

And when he had finished the biography he talked to her about her work (nobody else had ever been the least interested in Miss Quincey's work).