He sat down in the big bulgy old armchair that had belonged to Theodora 's father . Ludovic always sat there , and Anne declared that the chair had come to look like him . The conversation soon grew animated enough . Ludovic was a good talker when he had somebody to draw him out . He was well read , and frequently surprised Anne by his shrewd comments on men and matters out in the world , of which only the faint echoes reached Deland River . He had also a liking for religious arguments with Theodora , who did not care much for politics or the making of history , but was avid of doctrines , and read everything pertaining thereto . When the conversation drifted into an eddy of friendly wrangling between Ludovic and Theodora over Christian Science , Anne understood that her usefulness was ended for the time being , and that she would not be missed . `` It 's star time and good-night time , '' she said , and went away quietly . But she had to stop to laugh when she was well out of sight of the house , in a green meadow bestarred with the white and gold of daisies . A wind , odour-freighted , blew daintily across it . Anne leaned against a white birch tree in the corner and laughed heartily , as she was apt to do whenever she thought of Ludovic and Theodora . To her eager youth , this courtship of theirs seemed a very amusing thing . She liked Ludovic , but allowed herself to be provoked with him . `` The dear , big , irritating goose ! '' she said aloud . `` There never was such a lovable idiot before . He 's just like the alligator in the old rhyme , who would n't go along , and would n't keep still , but just kept bobbing up and down . '' Two evenings later , when Anne went over to the Dix place , she and Theodora drifted into a conversation about Ludovic . Theodora , who was the most industrious soul alive , and had a mania for fancy work into the bargain , was busying her smooth , plump fingers with a very elaborate Battenburg lace centre-piece . Anne was lying back in a little rocker , with her slim hands folded in her lap , watching Theodora .
She realized XXXXX Theodora was very handsome , in a stately , Juno-like fashion of firm , white flesh , large , clearly-chiselled outlines , and great , cowey , brown eyes .
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