She stood and placed the plate close to her visitor’s elbow, so that he might take more as he wished. William commenced to invent a story about a basket of kittens, which he cast upon the waters of a river like so many feline Moses. These unfortunates were obliged to face the perils of inquisitive swans and hungry pike before their timely rescue by a pair of kind fair-haired human sisters, who were able to offer them sanctuary. Kitty sat silently with her thumb in her mouth, while Molly interjected here and there. That a pike might eat a kitten she was not convinced, but William assured her that it was so. He considered adding the fiction that fishermen often found the remains of kittens inside the bellies of especially large pike, but decided withal that this would be an invention more suitable to an audience of boys.

Their story done, and several of the golden biscuits consumed by all three occupants of the sofa, their mother expelled the girls gently from the room. William knew that the time had come to speak of her late husband. Like many of his sex, he was alarmed by women’s tears: he was apprehensive of them now. If a fellow protested at such an outburst, he was likely to be upbraided; whereas if he consoled it seemed invariably to bring forth more tears. The one thing for it seemed to be to keep quiet, handkerchief at the ready, to be produced as the storm abated. But Mrs Lockwood only sat quietly, her hands folded in her lap. She did not weep, but nodded gravely from time to time. If any detail of his account rang false with her, she betrayed no sign of it, for which he was also much relieved. At last she received the box from his hands but did not make to open it. It only remained for him to offer her, with as much tact as he could muster, any assistance that it was at his means to provide. It was not easy, to talk of pecuniary matters with a lady. He had already laid the ground by hinting at such an offer by letter, but he felt it was his duty to state the case more plainly, in person.

‘My brother has business in Gloucester at the docks and is in a position to be able to help me and my daughters, so I must refuse your great kindness, while thanking you most sincerely. There is one thing I would much appreciate, however.’

‘Of course. It is my pleasure to assist in any way I can the family of a man I held in such high esteem.’ This at least was true, for Lockwood had been a jovial fellow and a dear one.