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bar "ne changed into almost an attack, for it had risen

tod was directed across the carriage towards Be-trice, as the woman went on, 'But your bloke, with

s education and his career, he's a snot of the first ater. D'you know that? And as brazen as bloody bar rass, openly running two houses and definitely

owing who is master in one, fighting the butler and , throwing him out, all because the fella tried to protect his mistress, your dear sister, when they were having it off on the couch. She's as bad as him.

Then, having all the staff in and telling them what's wha."

Beatrice felt she was about to choke.

Involuntarily her hand went to her throat and she could not stop herself from staring directly at the woman, glaring at her. And Mollie Wallace bounced her head at her, as she emphasised, "Tis a fact, and right from the horse's mouth, the butler himself. You wonder how I know? Oh, well, I'll tell you.

I get around, but I hadn't to move out of me lodgings to hear this tale, because me landlady's daughter is in the kitchen at The Hall and she keeps her ears open. And it should happen that the second footman up there was something of a pal of your dear sister's butler. They met up in the Red Lion on their time off. And the day your dear husband battered the fella and smashed up the furniture in doing so they met up again, and the fella told the whole story. Your sister's husband had asked the butler, who was also his valet, to give an eye to his wife. And apparently he hadn't put a tooth in what he was suggesting. He was very suspicious of your dear husband right from the first time they met up. And when there wasn't a day passed that the dear doctor wasn't only on her doorstep, but on her couch, he opened up and told him what he thought. With the result that the big boy kicked him out.

Oh, could tell you, the town buzzed when that story go about. And now, they say, he practically lives there. Pops in on his mother now and again, she who's at

: end of your house, but that's about all. And then, t Sunday, I suppose you know, there they were in irch, her being godmother and him being godfar to your other sister's baby. What d'you think y named the baby? John. Now isn't that nice? d then they had a tea-cum-party in that smalltding pig-sty next to you. It's a wonder you didn't greater-than rather the jollification."

Jnconsciously Beatrice found herself moving to end of the seat, her fingers, like claws, gripping her whole body expressing clearly her intention,

1 only the woman rising abruptly to her feet, say* 'allyou try that on, missis, and you won't be able ee your way out of this carriage,"

checked the wise. "I've got it in me to get me own back on ebody," the woman added, "and who better than his, who's the spit of your dirty old father, because

tell you something now, I had to be hard up ore I would let him near me. He was the filthiest ine that ever walked."

Vt this moment they were both surprised when the n jerked to a halt. And now Mollie Wallace, tugg her tight-waisted coat into place, and pulling hat more firmly on her head, grabbed up her bag m the seat, and her last words were, "From what ie of you, you are your old man's daughter right the core. And it's my skirt I wouldn't let touch i. D'you hear? If it wasn't that I hate his guts, I aid say you're getting all you deserve. In a way i're paying me for what I had to put up with from t unnatural old swine of yours."

he door was pulled open, then banged closed again; but the woman's face appeared again for a moment longer at the window and the hate on it could have been the expression on Beatrice's countenance.

When the train started again she fell back into the comer of the carriage. And now she was holding her face between her hands and actually moaning. She was aware she'd had to sit through that dreadful tirade because she wanted to hear about him, for no word about him ever came her way: she had been above speaking to the servants about him, so all she knew was he lived in the annexe with his mother;

he did his doctoring in the town; and yes, he would visit her; and as that woman had suggested, these visits would be far from futile. But she would never divorce him. Even if she did, she had read up enough about the law to know that they could never marry. She felt she had them in a cleft stick. But this...

filth that the woman had spewed at her: fighting with the butler who had caught them together... Oh God!

She was going to have one of her turns. Oh, no!

No! No! She must hang on. Hang on! Eat some chocolates! Eat some chocolates!

She thrust her hand into the bag and almost tore the lid off a box of chocolates, and when some of them spilt onto the floor, she took no notice; but, grabbing up two others, she rammed them into her mouth, chewed quickly on them, swallowed them, and repeated the dose.

By the time the train stopped at High Fellbum, she had eaten eight chocolates; and when she left the train she had to rumble in her bag for her return icket. Outside, she hailed a cab and twenty minutes

dislter she was entering the house.

4 Frances met her in the hall and was about to ask, bar Have you had a nice day?"' when, looking at her Jlace, she said, 'Oh, ma'am!" And she took the bag ('bar rom her, helped her off with her coat and hat, then jSaid gently, "Come along."

Beatrice allowed herself to be led up the stairs and

?"'"

Uto her bedroom. She made straight for the bed and

bar at on the edge of it, and as Frances took off her Jthoes she said, Lie down for a time, ma'am." sf Beatrice did not need any bidding and after Frans had covered her with a rug, she allowed herself bar to sink into the strange silence that preluded the eird feelings which led to oblivion.

John."

"Yes, dear?"'

"I must say it; I'm worried."

"What about?"'

"It's her." His mother nodded towards the wall.

"She's on the prowl."

"What d'you mean, Mother, on the prowl?"'

"Well, it started a couple of weeks ago.

I thought I was dreaming or hearing things. But it was quite late: you had been upstairs for some time and the girls next door must have been in bed at least a couple of hours. The first time it was like a... well, like a dog scratching at the door. You see, the door is just along from my bedroom wall. Wel, then I heard the muttering, and I knew it was her. I couldn't hear what she was saying, but her voice rose and fell: at times it was as though she were whispering. But for me to hear it she must have been more than whispering. The following night I thought perhaps I had previously been dreaming because there was no sound. But the next night, there it was again. It starts bar if she is scratching the door with her nails, and jring the past two weeks it's happened six times. e was on again last night. I was in the garden and (aw the little maid, Mary. She came and leaned er the hedge and asked me how I was. I said I was e; and how was she, I asked, and she said she In't know: all topsy-turvy, that was the expression used. Apparently Janie Bluett had given in her tice the day before. She has been intending to we for some time, but now, according to Mary, e can't stand things next door any longer. And it pears Cook is feeling the same; and if she goes e has promised to take Mary with her. So that's his situation."

"D'you want to leave here?"' ffis mother sighed before she said, "I never mght I would ever hear myself say so, because I ved this little house. But I must admit she's got e scared. I wouldn't believe she could have gone e this."

e remained thoughtful for a moment before he id, "I don't suppose I could get you a suitable place raight away, but one of the big houses on Brampn Hill has been turned into a nursing home.

Doctor omwallis has a patient there. He says it's a fine, nfortable place. Would you go there?"'

She paused before she said, "Nursing home?

Well, bar we always said I would never go into a nursing bar me, but I think I'll be glad to get out of here, if s only for a short hile. But it must be for only a bar ort time because I must live in a house of some

kind, John, with enough space to hobble about. I couldn't bear to be tied to the one room all day."

"I know that, dear, I know that. Anyway, I'll have a talk with the old man in the moing, then go and see the place for myself. And don't worry, please, because there's nothing to stop us just packing our bags and leaving here any minute. Now settle down. And look, I'll tell you what to do. If you hear that scraping again, take your stick and knock on the ceiling." He picked up one of the sticks that were hooked over the end of the bed and he tried it for length, saying, "You'll have to stand up. But do that if she starts. Now settle down. I won't be going up to bed for the next hour as I have some reading to do. And that reminds me: I left a number of my medical books along in the spare room. I must try and have a word with Frances and see if she'll sneak them down for me. But I think you're more likely to see young Mary than I am Frances, so if you can catch her eye tomorrow over the hedge, give her that mssage, will you? Ask her if she'll bring the down and put them outside the door."

"What if I dont see her tomorrow or the next day?"'

Well, that'll be just too bad, because then I'll open the door, go into the kitchen and if Frances isn't there, ask one of them to give her a message."

'And risk running into her?"'

Oh, if she's keeping her visits till the night-tie, I don't think she'll come along this end during the day. Still, we'll see. Now settle down." He bent and kissed her, then went into the sitting-room, though

* to read. The medical books and magazines lay jopened on the table and he sat for almost the hour ndering on the future...

I He was a light sleeper and often found difficulty j bar getting off to sleep, and tonight was no exception. was fact, although he felt very tired, he had been in

8d for over half an hour and was still wide awake.

J was as he stared into the darkness, his thoughts [elen and what would be their future, when the ling of glass and an implement that must have k the brass rail on the bottom of the bed caused Jun to leap up and to stand rigid for a moment while

@l'iand went out to the side-table to grope for nes to light the gas. But as he did so he was ed once more with the sound of more breaking 1 He thrust on his slippers and made his way to the bar bar roken window, trudging through the glass, and he eered out of the side pane towards the other bedigOom window. The light outside seemed much lighter than that of the bedroom. Then he glimpsed jhe dark shape of the figure disappearing into the Ijood.

12ar She was mad, yet wily, for she knew that he Ipouldn't sleep with drawn curtains and a drawn blind

6 because they weren't overlooked here, that he r pulled his blind down or drew the curtains: he to wake up to the light of the morning.

He now made his way back to the table and the bar bar Daatches, and as he lit the gas he heard his mother houting agitatedly, 'John! John!" And he called

back, "Be there in a minute. It's all right.

It's all right."

He now looked for the implement which had hit the rail of the bed. And there it was.

He picked it up. It was half a new brick, the edges sharp. As he examined it he could see her going through the wood to where they were building the house on the last quarter acre and picking up this brick.

He went into the other bedroom, where again he had to walk over glass. Here he found another halfbrick, but this time it had been nearer its target, for it was lying in the middle of the counterpane.

Just another yard, if he had been lying there, and it would have hit him on the head, which would have been her intention.

He carried the two bricks downstairs, where he found his mother standing leaning heavily on her sticks. And when he held out the bricks towards her, she looked at him and said, "She's mad! she is, John, she's mad!"

He put the bricks down, saying, "Come on, back to bed. I'll lie on the couch. Now, it's all right, it's all right. Stop trembling." And at this, she said, "Well, by the feel of your hand, you're not very steady yourself."

He said nothing to this, but he helped her into bed again.

"I'll make a cup of tea," he said.

Some minutes later, as he sat by her side drinking the tea, he said, his has put the finishing touches to it. Now I don't know where you'll be sleeping

n now on, but it certainly won't be here. So toIBOW, get Mrs Atkinson to pack up all our things." tThe store cupboard's full and there's nearly nty bottles of wine," she said.

jjlf he could have smiled at that moment he would ye: there was the housewife speaking. What he JJ-JL, and brusquely, was, "Leave the store cupboard. bar people wine... well if you must take them, wrap the yttes up in newspapers or odd garments or such pack them into cardboard boxes.

I'll ask Doctor jmwallis if I can store them there."

Taking the empty cup from her, he said, "Now k down and try to get some sleep because you're lng to need it; tomorrow will be a busy day," and he went from the room, he added to himself, "It rtainly will be for me."

Ji'Have a cup of tea," said Doctor Comwallis. 'ationo thanks; I've had six already; and I'm sorry to ,ve disturbed you at your breakfast." H "Oh, I was finished. But bricks through your win greater-than will? She means business. It looks as though she's atainly becoming confused, perhaps even degedbut..."

"Insane, is my opinion... Could she be certified?"' iJ'Por throwing bricks through your windows? Not pr that, no. She's not insane. But it has become clear disat she has spasms of discharging much nervous "ergy, which often leads to attacks of petit mal. his is what has been happening to her." j When did you last see her?"'

I "Oh, I was called to attend her about a fortnight

ago. She had been out shopping and had returned in a state, so the maid said. And yet I can't really be certain in her case, you know; nor, equally, can I be dogmatic and say it's hysteria, for there are many symptoms of this that she doesn't show. But there is certainly nothing I can see that would help to certify her. And like all in her state, she's wily. If I was bringing in an outside opinion, which, as you know, must be done in such cases, after hearing her talk they would find it very difficult to put pen to paper with regard to her sanity. No, you've got to find another way to get release from her. Yet, if she won't hear of divorce, I can't suggest anything. But wait-" He held up his hand and wagged his finger at John as if admonishing him, as he said, "Just you hold your hand a minute.