He felt that now, at least, he understood her life.
Having the flowers, the very first darlings of the spring, in his hand, he went, in the impulse of the new sympathy, and knocked at her house door.

He carried his burden of moss, earth, moisture, and little gray scaly insects that, having been disturbed, crawled in and out of it, boldly into the room, whose walls were still decorated with the faded garlands of the previous autumn.
"Let me talk to you," said Caius.
The lady and the one young girl who happened to be with her had bestirred themselves to receive his gift.

Making a platter serve as the rock-ledge from which the living things had been disturbed, they set them in the window to grow and unfold the more quickly.

They had brought him a bowl also in which to wash his hands, and then it was that he looked at the lady of the house and made his request.
He hardly thought she would grant it; he felt almost breathless with his own hardihood when he saw her dismiss the girl and sit before him to hear what he might have to say.

He knew then that had he asked her to talk to him he would have translated the desire of his heart far better.
"O'Shea's wife has been talking to me," he said.
"About me ?" "I hope you will forgive us.