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But in the case we're talking about neither of them were very nice people; at least, I can speak for one of the parties. But now go back and join the company, and when you see Alice, don't give her that look you sometimes do which says, I know something that you don't know.''Do I look like that, Daddy?''Yes, you do.' He rose to his feet. 'Remember when Malcolm was smoking and he set fire to the hay in the loft but he and Willie

795managed to put it out? And what did little Kitty do? Came to me and said, Daddy, I know something that you don't know. Do you remember?'Kitty's head drooped, then she looked up at him under her eyebrows and said, 'Well, I know something else that you don't know, Daddy; I'd had a puff at a cigarette, too, that day.''What!'As she went to scamper from him his hand caught her across the bottom, and she ran out squealing merrily, leaving him standing and shaking his head.He sat down again and placed his elbows on the table and dropped his chin into his hand, and he nodded to himself as he said,

'What is a mistress?' There was indeed a funny side to this: Daisy's grandson and Bridget's granddaughter. But he couldn't laugh about it because the moment it came into the open, Lionel Filmore would rise again from the dead. Bridget would see to that.

'You did well to get it for six-eighty.''Well, I pointed out to her that it would take a few hundreds to put it into order before we could let it. It's a real mess inside, and there's a bit of dry rot in the basement; and anyway, she's not without a penny: she's pretty warm, I should imagine, and she doesn't really need money.'*A lot of people don't'-Bridget pursed her lips at him-'but they'll still beat you down to the last farthing if they can. By the way, Douglas and I were talking last night: we think it's only fair that you should be working under your own name. What do you say to that?'What Joseph wanted to say was,

'You mean Filmore?' But that would get her back up. Yet strangely, if he were to say it to 797pouglas he wouldn't mind in the least. In fact, he would say what he had said before: If everyone had their due, that would be your name. So he said, 'That's nice of you.' ,His tone was not exactly one of kindly ac- ,ceptance, and she sensed this and moved -tsome papers on her desk before looking at him again: 'It would please Amy, too, don't leryou think?' she said. 3uNow he was unable to hedge, and so he ksaid, 'I don't think she is interested one way ,,'»*•or another in what name I work under.'w.'What is the matter with you these days, (sJoseph?9 \Before answering, he leant towards her across the desk and, looking her straight in the face, he said, 'You should put that to your daughter, Bridget. And you know as well as I do what's the matter with me, only you've closed your eyes to it. But being her mother, you have likely spoken to her woman to woman about this matter.'He slowly drew himself backwards as he saw her face flushing scarlet, and she snapped, 'I don't go into my daughter's private life.''Well then, without going into it, you've

798been married long enough to know what oils a marriage.*'Really! Really! Joseph.' She had risen to her feet, but he laughed now as he said, 'Oh, don't pretend you're shocked, Bridget, not you. Anyway, to get back to the question that led up to this matter, what will my new status entail?'Her voice was stiff as she replied, 'It would entail that what business you get in future will be your own; and don't say, not before time, because that, I know, is what you think. But don't forget, over all these years, it is we who have kept The Grove going.''No. No, I don't forget that, Bridget; nor do I forget that it isn't my home. It belongs to Douglas and, therefore, you, and when anything happens to Douglas it will go to my eldest son, although not of necessity because the place isn't entailed, but because my eldest son is also the son of your daughter. Oh, I know all that, but when I'm told not to forget certain things, I would remind you, Bridget, that I worked the first six years on that house for practically nothing, but I looked upon it as payment for my schooling799at your expense. Yet, at the same time, I considered you were getting good interest on it. We're speaking plainly now, aren't we? And for the last fourteen years I've worked in your business. Oh, yes, I've been well paid, but that was on percentage, too. So, I feel that what you're offering now is somewhat overdue. Yes, overdue. So, I'll say good day to you, Bridget, and go about . .

. your business, or what in future is going to be mine.'Bridget sank back into her chair and looked at the door that had just banged closed and she told herself that there indeed went the son of Lionel Filmore.

Oh yes, indeed.In the street, Joseph got into his car and he drove straight to Bradford Villa. He opened the door and passed into the musty hall; and there he stood, leaning with his back against the wall, feeling that he had just stepped out of Bridget's office, for he could still see the look on her face.Well-he stepped back from the wall-she wouldn't go back on her word. From now on he'd be in business on his own, but he felt

800sure that the change had come about through Douglas's suggestion and not hers.He walked slowly through the house, seeing immediately the work that needed to be done: a wall down here, a bathroom there. It could be made into a really nice house.The garden, he saw, didn't take up more than half an acre of the land, and there was all that field beyond. He stood at the corner of the outbuildings looking across the field. He reckoned that if he added another half acre to the garden, or even a bit more, there would be sufficient land left to build four good houses right up to the wall of Mrs Dunn's off-licence.Mrs Dunn's off-licence? He should call in and thank them personally. He had thought about them a number of times during the past few weeks.He turned quickly, locked up the house, got into his car and drove down the main road until he came to Downey's Passage, then drove up to the shop . . . past it, parked his car, then got out.He stood for a moment looking in the shop window at the display of spirit bottles 801before going in. There was no one in the shop, but the door bell had rung.When the woman appeared behind the counter she began by saying, 'Yes, sir? An' what can I do ... T Then on a high note she exclaimed, 'Why! Mr Skinner. Why! Come along in. Come along in, sir.' She whipped up the counter flap and he passed through, saying, 'I just thought I would like to come and thank you personally

. . .''Go on through. Liz has just made a cup of coffee.' Her voice rose: 'Liz! see who's here?'There was no one in the sitting-room, but her daughter's voice came from the kitchen apparently, saying, 'Oh, has Nibbles come back?'At this Mrs Dunn let out a roar of laughter and, looking at Joseph, she explained,

'That's the cat, Nibbles. Sit yourself down.'He was smiling as he sat down in the chair he recalled sitting in before, and he also recalled now the cheery atmosphere of this room and the two women.He heard the daughter's voice saying. 'Two nights on the tiles is one too many.' Then she appeared in the far doorway, bear-802ing a tray on which were two cups of coffee and a plate of biscuits.She stopped dead for a moment before exclaiming, 'Good lord! You said it was the cat.' She looked at her mother, then back to Joseph; and now she said, 'Hello, there.''Hello,' he replied. 'I ... I thought it was about time I came and said thank you in person.''Oh, I think you said it well enough on Christmas Eve. It's we who've got to thank you.

Look'-she put down the tray-Til make another cup of coffee. You'd like a cup of coffee?''Yes, please.

Yes, I would like a cup of coffee,' he said, nodding at her, and she nodded back and said, 'Well, your wish is my command,* and disappeared into the kitchen again on a laugh; and he looked at the older woman and smiled. The atmosphere in this house, or room, was relaxing. That was the only way he could put a name to his feeling at this moment.'Was it a bad do, I mean, your foot?''Well, it took longer than I thought before I was able to walk.''Yes; your man told us about it.' And her 803voice dropping, she said, 'He's your butler, isn't he?''Well, that's the name he goes under, but he's a bit of everything. He runs the house and he's a very good fellow altogether.''Yes, he seems a nice man.

Thinks a lot of you.' Her head was bobbing at him. She turned as her daughter was entering the room and said, 'The butler man, he thinks a lot of his master, doesn't he, by what he said to us?'Liz handed Joseph the cup of coffee and said, 'My mother has a great respect for family retainers,* stressing the last two words.He smiled up into her face, saying, 'And you haven't?' And she answered him, 'Not much. But she'-she thumbed towards her mother-'was brought up on an estate. Her father, my grandfather, was groom to a ... Scottish Laird'-she again stressed the last two words-'but then an awful Englishman comes riding by and whips her away to this God-forsaken country.' She laughed. 'That's what my grandfather used to call England, but I say thank God for it. And my grandfather's still bending his knee to his Scottish Laird,'

804'You're glad enough to spend your holidays up there, madam, and run wild on a pony and chat with the master.''Ah! Ah!' Liz now pointed her finger at Joseph, saying, 'That's the word. It always niggles me,

"the master". The very word conjures up slavery.''Get out of me way. Just listen to her. Will you have a biscuit, sir?''No; thank you, Mrs Dunn.''Don't take any notice to what she says, sir. She talks like a communist at times, and she says she doesn't vote Labour or Conservative. You know, to this day I don't know who she votes for. But I know what I vote for.' And she let out a loud laugh before she added, 'A good dinner, a drop of the hard, and a good night's rest. What more could you want?''What more indeed!'He seemed to be smiling all the time.Mrs Dunn now said, 'Were you on business round this way, sir?''Yes, you could say that. I've . . . I've just bought the villa.' He pointed towards the wall. 'I'm in the land and estate business, you know.'805'Oh. Oh, are you? And the villa. Oh my! what are you going to do with it?''Well, renovate it I hope; then it'll be for letting.'*Oh, the old girl who lived there was a caution.'The shop bell rang loudly, so saying, *Oh, dear, here we go! A woman's work is never done,'

Mrs Dunn trotted out of the room. Taking a seat on the other side of the fireplace and looking straight at Joseph, Liz explained, 'That last exchange with mother may have sounded very class-conscious, but I'm always teasing her about Sir Gilbert, because she's proud of her association with that house.'He leaned towards her and there was a quirk to his lips as he said, 'But at rock bottorn you are not, are you?'She laid her head back against the top of the tall chair and gave a little chuckle before she gave her answer:

'Perhaps. Then again, I'm not against having to work for someone; we're all working for someone really.

We here, in this business, have our masters, but we do seem to have a greater amount of freedom allowed us than in some others, and

806I've always been against the hold one human being has over another, whether it's in employment or in the family.''What about marriage?'He hadn't meant to say that, but it had come out,'Yes, you've got a point there. But mine didn't last long enough to test it. I was married a fortnight when he went to France.

It was in the middle of nineteen-eighteen, and he was killed within a month.'The statement sounded unemotional, but he said, 'Oh, I'm sorry. That must have been awful for you. You've got to ask the reason why these . , .'Tm sorry,' she cut in sharply now, 'but I think that is a stupid question, that "why"? I myself asked it at the time, but the answer I got was, why should I be asking it? when John was one of a million or more who died. That particular "why" has never been answered and never will be.'He sat staring at her. The jocular, funnyretort daughter was gone: here was a thinking young woman. She was asking a question now: 'Were you in the war?*'No. They wouldn't have me; I must have 807been quite rotten. I tried three or four times, but from my eyes to the soles of my feet they seemed to find something wrong with me.'And how he had tried to get into that war, not because he wanted to serve King and country, but simply to get away from the war that was brewing around him.He said,

'Your name isn't Dunn then?' And she answered, 'No, it's Lilburn.'*Oh, I know a number of Lilburns.

Well ... I mean, they're on the books.''Yes, no doubt, because we're a common lot.'She was smiling again; and when he stated, 'Well, I'm glad you said that, not me, else likely I would be taking my leave through the let-in counter by now,' she laughed loudly as she agreed, 'No doubt. No doubt.'After a short silence he asked, 'Have you lived here long?''Well, they tell me I was born upstairs some twenty-nine years ago. There! my age is out,' and she pulled a face at him now before going on, 'My father owned the house, and the business, too. It was a free

808house. Well, you know what that means, we can buy where we like.''Your father's dead then?''Yes, about six years ago. He was elderly, being twenty-two years older than mother, and-' She now shook her head before going on, 'It's unbelievable, but that was thought terrible in those days. Baby-snatching, they called it. Yet they were very happy together. But then, my mother is a very easy-going woman. I don't think I would have been very happy if I had been married to a man like my father.''The master, was he?' He poked his head towards her.'Yes. Yes. Very possessive.'There was that word again, possessive.

'You don't like possessive people then?''It isn't that I don't like them, I cannot understand what motivates them, unless it is an inadequacy in themselves, some deep want, and in order to alleviate it in some way, they hang on to another human being. It's a sort of desire for power. Those who run businesses are possessed in a similar way. They have power over people; and very 809often, on their whims depends a man's livelihood.'He nodded slowly in agreement, and said, 'Have you ever thought of getting on the council?''Me! on the council?' She pulled herself forward on the chair.

The only thing I would want to get on the council for is to tell them what I think about their stupidity. Do you know, they're going to pull Coin Street down. Those beautiful old houses. Do you know the street?''Yes. Yes, I do.''Well, have you looked at the fanlights and the railed balconies?' She shook her head. 'They're really beautiful, and that cotton wool-brained lot want to pull them down; to build more shops, I suppose.''Then why, if you feel so strongly, don't you do something about it? As I said, get on the council.' -*