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“There was a great deal of laughing and joking during the meal. Lizzie Fleming said Maria was sure to get the ring and, though Fleming had said that for so many Hallow Eves, Maria had to laugh and say she didn’t want any ring or man either; and when she laughed her grey-green eyes sparkled with disappointed shyness and the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin.”
Here, one of the women who lives at the charity where Maria works teases her and says that maybe this year she will “get the ring.” This refers to the traditional Hallow Eve game that the party guests play later in the text in which drawing a ring represents an impending romance. Readers are able to get a good sense of Maria’s loneliness because she is “disappointed” and sad that she has never married—even though she quickly brushes it off in front of other people.
“The gentleman began to chat with her about Hallow Eve and the rainy weather. He supposed the bag was full of good things for the little ones and said it was only right that the youngsters should enjoy themselves while they were young. Maria agreed with him and favoured him with demure nods and hems. He was very nice with her, and when she was getting out at the Canal Bridge she thanked him and bowed, and he bowed to her and raised his hat and smiled agreeably, and while she was going up along the terrace, bending her tiny head under the rain, she thought how easy it was to know a gentleman even when he has a drop taken.”
This passage occurs about halfway through the short story, where Maria finds herself seated next to a man on a crowded tram on the way to the Donnelly party. Maria may be shy, but she is clearly taken with the man and is pleased that he is giving her attention and showing an interest in what she is doing. Maria is so affected by such a normal interaction because she is not used to being perceived and she cherishes this brief moment of human connection.
