these kind understanding words, had always known
how she felt, and sympathised with her.

She wished he would call her "Mary" -- if only he
would begin, she would soon find it quite easy to call
him "Alick...."

Suddenly there came on his sightless face a slight
change. He had heard something which her duller
ears had failed to hear.

"What's that?" he asked uneasily.

"It's only a motor-car coming round to the front
door. I hope they will send whoever it is away," the
colour rushed into her face.

"Oh, surely Howse will do that today----"

And then she saw the man-servant come out of the
house and advance towards them. There was a salver
in his hand, and on the salver a note.

"The gentleman who brought this is waiting, ma'am,
to see you."

She took up the envelope and glanced down at it.
Her new name looked so odd in Dr. Haworth's familiar
writing -- it evoked a woman who had been so very
different from herself, and yet for whom she now felt
a curious kind of retrospective tenderness.

She opened the note with curiosity.

@@@@"Dear Mrs. Guthrie,
@@@@"The bearer of this, Mr. Reynolds of the Home
@@@@Office, will explain to you why we are anxious that you
@@@@should come into Witanbury for an hour this afternoon.
@@@@I am sure Major Guthrie would willingly spare
@@@@you if he knew how very important and how delicate is
@@@@the business in question. Please tell him that we will

[[322]]

p321 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p322w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p323

v?