At nine o’clock t m Miss inter sent for me and I    to he library.

        By daylige different. itters folded back, t    t flood in from till    from t’s doic plants by ts seemed to touce frame retco brancself, slig before, appeared as a mirage of books in t er garden.

        In trast to te sun, Miss inter ic er garden. Soday, but ra-style erday. In t I sa before: along traiging in Miss inter’s copper curls was a narrow margin of pure we.

        ‘You remember reement,“ s do order. No g. No looking aions.“

        I ired. A strange bed in a strange place, and I onie ringing in my art where you like,” I said.

        ‘I sart at t is. Our lives are so important to us t end to tory of t t t is not so.    pieces of string t    be separated out from a knot of ot straigo touc of it    setting t vibrating. Impossible to uand one part    he whole.

        ‘My story is not only mi is tory of Angelfield. Angelfield tself. Gee and Matu. Oention to gs, s one, Miss Lea?“

        Sended not to see it.

        ‘A birt really a beginning. Our lives at tart are not really your o only tinuation of someone else’s story. take me, for instao look at me no    you? Apanied by strange portents, and attended by o. Not a bit of it. In act, w.

        ‘But ory t precedes my birt are tion e from? ell, icular. Not t I ear all directly from imes, it is true, s t    my presence as ss and versations and ses rose to    afrescable. But sooner or later tory able for a cable in particular for me—t mid-sentend start rubbing tlery vigorously, as if to erase t altoget ts in a ory togetalked ea, I learo interpret t punctuated seemingly i versations. it appearing to notiyt gla certain    talk privately… t in fact alone. In tood tory of my ins. And later, ory I    years divining. It is tory—t came to me in s, glances and silences—I am going to translate into words for you now.“

        Miss inter cleared , preparing to start.

        ‘Isabelle Angelfield was odd.“

        o slip aious.

        ‘Isabelle Angelfield orm.“

        It came again, t loss of voice.

        So used    it ropart, t, like a gifted musi    playing, takes up rument again, she finally found her way.

        Sold me tory of Isabelle and Charlie.

        Isabelle Angelfield was odd.

        Isabelle Angelfield orm.

        It is impossible to knos are ected.

        But    ime, people in t erday t tor e, delayed by t its banks. Ot t t strangling     birt, for on troke of six, just as t t t of to t? So if tor    deprived t died…

        And if, and if, and if. Sucless. Isabelle    is all to say about tter.

        t, a    to all is and purposes, it looked like soo. For o a dee. -blank to e out. t seem excessive; ten years of marriage is usually enougo cure marital affe, but Angelfield    was. he had loved his wife—

        empered, lazy, selfisty Mat never entered Gee’s o wonder w was,    of C all.

        Bereaved, driven    all day in ting not s too, on t sleeping but staring red-eyed at t on for moopped speaking. Specialists    again. t of affe, and iced.

        In t fed up    all. Sook airs. Srode past tler, ign estations, and    into t knog. Up to t a urned , slamming the door behind her.

        tler made to go in, to retrieve t, but t you dare!” artled t s gatside t one anot knoo do. But tion hing.

        It ernoon, and at t one of to t! ter’s e out!”

        At airs to    had happened.

        ts ood about in tening at t first ter just sat t ts exis, but too    and ts reported, did not oake er’s face. t t. ensity and pitcil finally the door was flung open.

        tood my grandfath his baby in his arms.

        Seeing s standing idly about,    t: “Is a baby left to starve in this house?”

        From t day on Gee Angelfield took personal cer. , moved    into , fas ake o ters, ts pages and romantiovels), and ss and plans , as t panion and not a    child.

        Per -topped boy,    and a slo Isabelle ined s. to a ricretcter cter mouting eyes and long las    o reveal tonis    least, perfe itself.

        ted to tate of affairs. t to be irely normal for a fato dote on er. It    to be sidered unmanly, ulemanly or ridiculous t    antly by him.

        But    Cted boy    o learn neroduced to ts to    instances of bad bes o foresee. ent disciplinarian; sometimes    otimes merely laugern, racted, and ts ended ly fotten. Catc of t t be some misdemeanor to correct, and    if it    actually o    time. taugayed out of ther.

        itoo busy tle Isabelle to    erical reports from    mice roasted    or pins pressed by malicious o to do as    pleased    top of ttic stairs and cumble doheir ankles.

        t to ’s tent, in tain kno    a. sistent adult beo be good for t    certainly suited the day is long.

        Gee Angelfield’s adoration of er persisted trials a    a parent. arted to talk, o be preternaturally gifted, a veritable Oracle, and o sult il to be run acc to three-year-old child.

        Visitors ricity into cs began to plain among tler    before t up for a year longer imes t too, ice.    sook tc    to to e odd    under no obligation to occupy t unreasonably t ted ts and bruises, sprained ankles and stomacs to Cic experiments. t and emporary ed long. Finally even temporary h.

        By time Isabelle o Gee Angelfield, tdoors, taking refuge in turned cold. If Gee Angelfield noticed tion, tic squalor,    regret it. he had Isabelle; he was happy.

        If anyone missed ts it    for subjects for s. ing around for someoo ,    er to do, on er.

        afford to make    y. o get her away?

        By e.    of t gardearden and along to ts.

        Cer im, and er, urn out exactly as ed. Cer’s sleeve up and dre, along te inside of ared at t urned    out    to omatically. Sured tioo .     ond trickled. Sisfa as s it and to ioo o pull up his sleeve.

        C o ed it, and he pain.

        Instead of a victim gest of spirators.

        ** *Life    on for ties, sans    meetings, sans    of t people of took franted in turate to be managed by tenants, and depended on ty of today transas    were necessary for survival.

        Gee Angelfield fot about time t about    o do h money.

        ty. Otocratic families. Among took great care of    out t advice, ied large sums ed and speculated small sums    t, in t pletely. t up—moderately. ion    son and a goggle-eyed, ter. Someto be done.

        Gee Angelfield never saers,    e back. As a sequence of tead of expending itself cer anots bank vault and gre.

        Moalks. ot out.

        ‘Doesn’t Gee Angelfield . ”y-six?“

        And if not t t t be reaco dote on    e empty-handed.

        ‘Nice    see tion.

        tation languisnig migil t of t not been for Isabelle. Oernoon, at a loss for someto do, sairs, puffed out ter up and ope.

        ‘’s t?“ said Charlie.

        ‘Invitation,“ so a piic.“

        A piic? ed it over. It seemed strange. But    it.

        Isabelle stood up and    to the door. “here are you going?”

        ‘to my room.“

        Co follohe mood.”

        ook a    time. But sed ahe door.

        An er, airs,    to to th me,” he asked her.

        ‘No.“

        ‘to the deer park.“

        “No.”

        iced t s do you look like t for?” upid.”

        S o te material and trimmed ead of ennis s on a pair of green satin sandals a size too big—also ttaci.    darkened. “here are you going?” he asked.

        ‘to the piic.“

        ohe library.

        ‘No!“

        he pulled her harder.

        S him, “Charlie, I said no!”

        ,    meant no.    out in t. Semper for days.

        Surned    door.

        Full of anger, Co . But        s slaed;    of to the piic.

        t tty picture from a distance, in te ss. t sparkled in t, and t t looked soft enougo go barefoot. Iy, teri to take to ill, to feign jollity, in t tense hing.

        A young man at t sig up rafit apanied by a lump of a man. t her.

        o respond to o see ention and fell silent in turn. A group of young ernally alert to turo see , y turo face truck dumb.

        Across the wide lawn walked Isabelle.

        S parted for ed for Moses, and sraig to tood on a flat rock t jutted out over ter. Someone came tole, but s, it    ake more to cool her down.

        Sook off ree and, arms outstretc o ter.

        to ter streaming from    recalled they gasped again.

        to ter er, after s ime. ty and nation. t in    time. But on t    doo ss, and people eful to    ty to life.

        One of t, ie a into t of ime at all, ter, diving, calling, sing and outdoing one anoticism and splash.

        to go. t oed faces and splaso ter, uttering cries t tmost to prevent any excessive dampening of their hair.

        ts he men had eyes only for Isabelle.

        C folloo ter. ood, a little fartcs. ung as t from o t    bear to take his eyes off Isabelle.

        er    t    seemed ay. Enlivened by Isabelle’s prese on muced, a seemed to ts to ayed longer if ty broke up s of oto e, a round of promised invitations and damp kisses.

        arranged around    far off a girl loitered, uain o t clear ser.

        ‘e on,“ Co er.

        ‘So soon? I t er, and Sybilla, surprised at ted kindness, beamed back.

        C    imes— by ing    in public    dare, and so he buckled under.

        o ts t took pla t. For    of    least not at first. But one does not o be a genius to deduce from later events ook plader t evening.

        It would his:

        Isabelle    for sending the men away.

        ‘My s tree!“ And s Roland to fetcoo, for a sem.

        ttled tc ground. In ted in t and    t and t. to drive ture from tacickled.

        Isabelle kneime aloo get it, so be rid of her.

        So talk ree. “So when?”

        ‘I don’t really ted.

        ‘But you sook t it run over    it ruhe lips of her panion.

        ‘t tickles,“ Sybilla murmured.

        Isabelle did it again. Sybilla smiled, eyes , and did not stop    leaf doention to ts. Sybilla emitted a semi-nasal giggle.

        o    and beyond, Sybilla opened her yes.

        ‘You’ve stopped,“ she plained.

        ‘I ,“ said Isabelle. ”It’s just t you ’t feel it tter?“

        Sybilla reclosed her eyes.

        From t ts o a distinctly c stir until to top of    sigil Isabelle replaced tender fingers.

        Isabelle’s s once leave t t    of a flicker, she drew her hand away.

        ‘Of course,“ ster-of-fact, ”it’s a beau you need really.“

        Sybilla, roused unure, cig,” Isabelle o explain. “It’s mucter h a beau.”

        And whe answer all ready: “Charlie.”

        By time turned, sain dis apparent in    aicoat, regarded Cerest.

        C to tiny,    Isabelle.

        ‘    interc you say?“ S a s o uand. ”Roland and I are going to    fart Sybilla’s tired. You stay ook Roland’s arm.

        C Sybilla, registered t of ared back at ly open.

        urned back to o er and t er. ime and time again shis.

        In time o vent his feelings somehow.

        uro Sybilla.

        t    for Isabelle t of C, escaped    oo sloo follourn until darkness imes not even t urried to    o maim    as sime after time, slipping ter,    t s away from ime. Like a boar enraged by a bee, he owerless.

        On a ies. For an    s everyt al erludes he monizing.

        C arily ime er prepared ted    to make s. er’s subtlety; t t could lave been a sdal, and a vexed Isabelle told    if t o go about to c sort of ers of minor aristocrats to ters. Personally    tell t to mind less.

        Frequent tances of fetfulness ing. t urned aouc passion in his life: his feelings for Isabelle.

        One m toured t in tfully.    doairs to udy.

        o see aken to going out more ified his.

        ‘Darling Pa!“ S him.

        a glint of somet?”

        raveled to a er of t lifting old him she was leaving.

        At first ood     inside eorite strikes and explosions.    in    a silent, devastated landscape, he opened his eyes.

        had he done?

        In tae end. Isabelle o tiful green eye rickle of blood crept from ed away from her eye.

        at    urned ahe room.

        Aftering t ing and ting, tigigil it dug deep into il it ted t it could not be un pleted its slow journey from o his sciousness, he cried.

        C t day and did not return il midnigy    disaster ruot finding er,    to udy. One look at told , but t t t uher.

        In    on t to t tte against a regle of moonlig some point ained by extortion from a local poacimes    to emple. Eacime ty soour to his lap.

        At four o’clo t took up i r, pusure mark in    eady as on his shinbone he scored a single word: Isabelle.

        Isabelle by time o es and t it again, taking tairs te, e unlike    of ted t a stone    ime, but sy to judge people’s movements by sensing vibrations in t Isabelle ated, for t of moments, before she garden door behind her.

        became apparent to Gee Angelfield t Isabelle o ors. tor to e calling no s s. “tell yod o    a    you!”    of their wele.

        A feer turned and called to break tion ablis ticemia, caused by t he flesh of his ring finger.

        C die, t uand rail of footprints in t and follo every day, starting at top of ttic bedrooms not used for years, servants’ rooms, family rooms, tudy, tc less, endless,    nig out to roam tate, irelessly for. ips were a bloody, scabby mess. he missed Isabelle.

        Cember, October, November, December, January and February, and at turned.

        Ccrag steps, o ted no visitors.

        A familiar figure stepped do stood still.

        teps, beside t, and Isabelle here.

        ared at her.

        Isabelle laugake to took somet. “And tucked it obediently under    I’d like most in the world is a very large brandy.”

        Stunned, Co to tudy. Sraigook out glasses and a bottle. So a glass and drank it in one go, seness of , t to ood tiger resounded about    oo close to an enormous carted to spin and tears sprang to    tructed. “e’ll drink a toast.” ook t fumes. “to ture!”    its unfamiliar burn.

        ‘You    evehem, have you?“ she asked.

        he frowned.

        ‘Look.“ Isabelle turo tudy desk, pulled t ood back so t urned    some kind of response    didn’t know w o say or do.

        ‘Oer took boto a madcap dance around til tarted to clear o a    sook o ’s you and me noand?“

        he nodded.

        ‘Good. Now, where’s Pa?“

        old e erical. tc o bed in    last s again, asked, “t are they called?”

        ‘March,“ Isabelle responded.

        But t. ord of t o t t s anyed by ter-in-laly so grieve.

        ‘ about    names?“

        ‘Adeline and Emmeline,“ said Isabelle sleepily.

        ‘A?“

        But tier old bed, ten, ored to    ernal bone in her body—

        but as mere spirits of the house.

        t, too. In tc over talked in low voices.

        ‘hie is which?“ he asked.

        ‘I don’t know.“

        Ole flutter of t to sleep.

        ‘t one    be Adeliook a striped tea to strips from it. Sed trips into tied t of tirred, te one around t of t.

        cil turned a glad and tender face to the gardener and spoke again.

        ‘t e!“

        ears t misted her round brown eyes.

        across t    tness of ears pressed against his own fingers.

        Berembling line of the babies were dreaming.

        It e ory of Isabelle and oon and evening and for part of t I    over my desk, ory retelling itself in my ears s dictation. My pages : Miss inter’s oime to time my o t and I scribbled a note in t-one of voice esture seemed to be part of tive itself.

        No docer’s voice    t s    ly    under roking s, if s,    seem t perturbed, but only blinked and tio stare indifferently.

        ‘’s his name?“ I had asked.

        ‘Sly replied.

        At last in bed, I turned out t and closed my eyes. I could still feel t s from ing    yet ready to uself. t    of paper, lines of my o-tention. Unmarked, pristi gloing. It s, notes and questions.

        In t pencil and tco tions t peed my dro t tattoo Cer’s co ion self? Or    ill ted ao tten… Isabelle and Cs, ter’s palm rose into vieter Q for question, seared into human flesh.

        As I started to sleepe my questions, to expand. t. S engulfed me, until I realized ure of trepidation and    t I e interior of tory itself. eig long in Miss inter’s story, plotting its landscape, measuring its tours and, on tiptoe at its borers, peering at teries beyond its bounds.

        GARDENSI oo early. tonous fragment of a tune c my brain. ito    before Judit t, I made myself a cup of cocoa, drank it scaldingly    and    outdoors.

        Miss inter’s garden    .    I aken at first sigo be the formal beds—

        divided one part of t and copper beee er clematis and tems of rambling roses, and fences, ly paneled or woven in willow.

        Folloion to anot I could not fat.    looked solid vieraigimes revealed a diagonal passageo and near-impossible to escape from. Fountains and statues t I t I     of time stock-still, looking around me in perplexity and sure self and ting out deliberately to t me.

        turning a er, I came across tit, bearded man ion. “Maurice is antly introdug himself.

        ‘ to get lost?“ I ed to knorick to it?“

        ‘Only time,“    looking up from    and pressing ts of ts.

        Maurice, I could tell, did not    mind, being of a solitary nature myself. After t I made a point, e dire, and I tion, for once or tc out of to see Maurice bag out of aranaking a sudden, divergent turn. In t eaco avoid eay sense of straint.

        Later t day I    to Miss inter and sold me more about t Angelfield.

        t to t seemed forever. ty: Staff came and    quickly at Angelfield, and since departures    remaining. tecy ss and laid fires like an under ime to make a meal    ime to serve it sler. Yet by time t like to admit it, t manage.

        t to be brougimes, regular bedtimes, regular bated at time, and it broke    to see urned out. t of ttern. S of all t to raise ttle girls. time at six, chur Sunday.

        But it was .

        For a start ting. Adeline    er, fists a flailing, yanking at er ongs. t    and merciless aggression, or Emmeline’s stant, ungrudging acceptance of it. For Emmelier to stop tormenting aliated. Instead, sed for t rained doop. to raise a    Adeline. S, it made sense.

        t mealtimes, more often t, t be found. Emmeline adored eating, but ranslated itself into t be aodated by t en, ty, fifty times a day, it struck, making urgent demands for food, and    departed and food became an irrelevance again. Emmeline’s plumpness ained by a pocket stantly full of bread and raisins, a portable feast t sake a bite from able only to repleniss before o loll by the fire or lie in a field somewhere.

        er e different. Adeline s for knees and elbo of otals. Meals    for ; like tual motion s, running on energy provided from some miraculous inner source. But t spiernally is a myticed in ty plate     food off a plate, like normal children?

        Per ter if sead of t t no amount of nursery food and strict routine could ree. S    to see it; sried not to see it for a long time, but in t it. trange all t into ts.

        talked, for instance. Sco be moving een to t fragments of t. “Speak up!” selling t s    for ot be silly,” sold Dig opping t going.”

        tion came to er. For oo stay in t of ted clearing in    a fragment of topped. Sounds fleennis balls in some game; sounds t made tance you’d    it tter of ordinary c    sank. It    s used to . t talk properly.

        tanding froze imes ion opeo anotelpiece c a little bird out of a cage to flap a mec before reentering t c tche bell, wings up, wings down, wings up, wings down.

        ticularly cold, particularly in t    t inanimate moving objects. But it froze to t ly t ed.

        t realize t I am alive, s. t kno anyone is alive but themselves.

        It is a tribute to    s find trous. Instead, s sorry for them.

        be. how very lonely.

        And surned from the doorway and shuffled away.

        From t day on tations. Regular mealtimes and bat of t one job noo keep the girls safe.

        turning it over in    sood oget o be t in t ones, seem like to t seem like raime, t meant people s of tees. t’s o tees.

        Normal? No. t and , sural.

        Of course all amputees er tate of te, take lovers, marry. tormented by terive to be part of a pair. t from anyone else in t. And she-dig.

        t a couple in traditional se married; t even lovers. A dozen or fifteen years older t old enougo be e, but ed for a    time t, sed to marry anyoo marry, but someea ting at tcable to eat    of t of seeking t more imagination t o leap tations; t    t and most respectful kind. In anoture,    o be     t, one    imagi some Friday er t pie and custard,    aken    o one or ot t never een do, and eender loyalty t as t ever living tself.

        o t knoing, o (and t, for t many of took to leaving off t letters of o save time. t tters seemed more te: Did t say ely, even, to sign o the-dig.

        e    greraigop of s reac    brigion s cycles. In tables of figures, calculating t time for everyt-grandfat, and aihe knowledge.

        Jo Angelfield. In t-grandfated out a box    to be eful, aken tings a feo loook o ted to be pyramids, es, top s. to serial, tient, meticulous delicacy of a lacemaker. ed no animals, no    for    you sa pleased rictly geometric or bafflingly, bulgingly abstract.

        By time of    years, tarden    mattered. o be finised o be in “ime, fifty, a o maturity.

        At o ter,    y miles aake on t o be opiary y from t be oto s    the grooves. he was home.

        In ter Gee Angelfield lost aff diminisically, Joayed on. Gardeners left and    replaced. ill a young man , ook no i;    to see o trust     Angelfield. arden, putting o t began to fade,    o reflect t trees rees t -grandfated, t tines and motions of    tions of oo deeply knoo require t. ake it franted. Like rees, ed to Angelfield.

        ed? Great gass. tated, tops lying at t. t balance of t, top s d left in tatters. ared at till green, still fres reion, t to e.

        Stunned, rembling t seemed to pass from    to o t, ried to uand    from t    ru? But orm is it t strikes in silence?

        No. Someone his.

        turning a er    to the saw.

        e in for lunc to find arden so h a new urgency.

        ender care to tc ea, s and , and ared, unseeing, into space. it a ed sips of to    last     ears spring up.

        ‘Oh Dig! I know. I know.“

        he shaking of her body.

        t appear t afternoon, and t go to find turned up in till in e and    t of t, t as the drawing room clock.

        Before s to bed ts on t touc you.”

        And till not expeg to be ? O? You .”

        S touc was Emmeline.

        Startled, tears and stared.

        the-dig sad.”

        ‘Yes,“ the Missus whispered. ”e are sad.“

        t    malice. it guilt. It isfa at ed sometly identified it. Sears. S no was sadness.

        t doairs. t ion, and it er t. as it possible t one day t uand?

        So t to rejoin John in his despair.

        t night I had a dream.

        alking in Miss inter’s garden, I met my sister.

        Radiant, s golden o embrace me, and I    .

        aking, I curled into a ball until tinging    on my torso had subsided.

        MERRILY AND tORMiss inter’s ed, and ts inants so solitary, t I    o    t of t a glimpse of a tall, dark-o the bell.

        I sae from t porcires on gravel. I stood still, retreated inside myself. to anyone rouble to look, I    o see not is usually    see me.

        o s of inguisillness. o    up teps t the bell.

        I he house.

        Later t day, Miss iold me tory of Merrily and tor.

        As tate. tanding of property, and so t    al in tried kitc lock doors muside. to anytasty in try, slept for an airs if t ook saus and spoons ao scare birds in the fields.

        t upset about it. For every accusation made, t t time in anotant place; at least t least t t came about t all t stories s stories; no old    its gs. And t it. t rig t o be a disination to approacs as t mighere.

        But eventually t talk, and ted. Anger pulled t of s made t uand        it    and sed even more. For a time tayed to cacle of turheir backs and walked off.

        o be done, and tting turn, “Big    ougo be alloo run riot t’s n to be done.” And t quiet over tes of potato a and shing would be done.

        Until t of tor.

        ts in one of ttages. ted for    er of a    tte. all bro and o put    and tickle    of o make ried not to laugo tease    sed to laugually she always did.

        S    for t laugy color t oo dark to be blond,    s laug iful t     moon ciced e teeteeto matctle pink toen’s. And t beautiful, rippling, unstoppable music t came gurgling out of    like spring-er from an underground stream. It . And , and     ion of ickled her and made her laugh, and laugh, and laugh.

        Anyer,    to t tle clotor.        to    it    c seeming very dear) in order to mark tance of t c for anottle vest, anottle c oo, and ined for tiful black perambulator. Its wlessness.

        to fields at t kno from beor.

        Babies make a lot of    in tting t and taking it in. From t t an eye on tor outdoors i seemed sdoors to adjust tu ara bla or simply sing.

        Merrily    ted to tor. Emmeline and Adelied.

        Merrily emerged one day from u of    ted abruptly. o    tumbled into tipping collars and socks onto tourned    and rig believe    and rig and rig and rigime    out a sc rose into t could rend it in two.

        Mr. Griffin looked up from able plot and came to t door old Granny Stokes fro tto ou Merrily, ruck, as time’s supply of words.

        Eventually s. “My baby’s gone.”

        And oo ar. Griffin jumped over took Merrily by to t of okes disappeared from er ed in t garden, calling out for help.

        And t is it? ’s happened?”

        ‘taken! From tor!“

        ‘You t    way.“

        ‘Run ach her husband, somebody.“

        All tion at t of the house.

        At t. Merrily’s ed tranquilly in turned soil, Emmeline caressed t ecstasy and Adeline kicked    of t t thing moving.

        t. It he voom.

        tor along t art t appeared, and also t along very uneven ground. tly banked, ed t an a all four urer to tles and brambles snagged in t    t going after t ty yards. But t. t to get t pram    all trengto feel t at all. tearing tles a on t, Emmeliill ing o it, giving it a surreptitious stroke ime to time, kissing it.

        At last to t. But instead of making directly for it turoed to play. o top of t slope igable energy, t it in position. ted out t it on to to te-faced. At a signal from    powerful push she could manage.

        At first t slo. But te sun as turned. Faster and faster, until t even a blur. teeper, and to so side ao take off.

        A noise filled the air.

        ‘Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!“

        Adeline, sled doling her senses.

        Suddenly it o happen.

        One of truck against a piece of rock stig out from tal screec stone, and t doo t traced a serene curve against til t o snatd ter tion reverberating in t.

        Emmeline ran doill turning, slency lost.

        A ended from ty of ted at a strange angle on tony ground. On tains and tle scratches.

        Emmeline k. Iy of the carriage, all was dark.

        But t. A pair of greearing back.

        ‘Voom!“ she said, and she smiled.

        t ime to go home.

        Aside from tory itself, Miss inter spoke little in our meetings. In to say “ sempered edge to ion, and s expect me to, so to an end. I ly a minute early, take my pla take my notebook out of my bag. t all, soverned by times Miss inter il sural break at t ion of y about it t akable. It e space at ter. I    note in my book, close togetake my leave. At otimes, tedly, in times in tence, and I o see e face tigo a mask of endurance. “Is t time I sao go. elliory of Merrily and tor, I put my pencil and notebook into my bag and, standing up, said, “I shall be going away for a few days.”

        ‘No.“ She was severe.

        ‘I’m afraid I must. I ing to be ially, and I’ve been    ay.“

        ‘Maurice    take you to too buy wever you need.“

        ‘I need my books…“

        Sured at her library shelves.

        I s I really o go.”

        ‘Miss Lea, you seem to t    let me remind you, I am a busy     to alk of going a t be t.“

        I bit my lip and for a mome co I rallied. “Remember reement? true to do some cheg.”

        Sated. “You don’t believe me?”

        I ignored ion. “true t I could check. You gave me your word.”

        ig she curred.

        ‘You may leave on Monday. take you to tation.“

        I ing up tory of Merrily and tor     time for dinner, so I errupted my work before.

        ‘ould you e to ton is h you.“

        As I e to . I am no good at so decide not to offer me    it left us at a loss to find some oto start.

        ‘You are Miss inter’s biograpand?“

        ‘I’m not sure.“

        ‘Not sure?“

        ‘If sellirut an amanuensis.“

        ‘ matter?“

        ‘to wo you.

        I didn’t kno I k, so I didn’t ans.

        ‘You are Miss inter’s doctor, I suppose?“ I am.

        ‘o see me?“

        ‘It is Miss inter, actually, o make sure you are fully ae of h.“ I see.

        itific clarity, o ion. In a fe    a effectively masked by tioned a number of otions so kill    t to get t. And    out, as far as o ration to er, , s.

        ‘ion came to an end.

        ‘I ’t tell you. Anoter is made of strong stuff. And since you ently on the brink of breaking a fidence.

        ‘Since I have been here… ?“

        me and seemed to o be managing a little better. S is tic qualities of storytelling.”

        I    sure o make of ts, tor inuing. “I uand yoing away…”

        ‘Is t o me?“

        ‘It is only t ss you to uand t time is of the essence.“

        ‘You    let    I uand.“

        Our intervieale… ? I don’t suppose…”

        In    a flasience of the reader.

        ‘S it,“ I said. ”t be at liberty to tell you.“

        remor ran from o the er of his nose.

        ‘Good day, Miss Lea.“

        ‘Good day, Doctor.“
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