Selina brought me a letter which had come with the morning’s post. The handwriting on the envelope was Guy’s and this time no one had steamed it open. She was dressed and made-up as carefully as ever, her eyelids matching the dark blue of her trim little linen suit. I thought she looked far from well. For the first time I noticed a row of little vertical lines on her upper lip, the kind of wrinkles you associate with a much older woman. I told her I’d like to see Max sometime that day and would she arrange it, please. Any time would do.

“He hasn’t come back yet,” she said. “He takes much longer over his jogging these days.” She looked around her distractedly. “You know, darling, what people aren’t aware of is that it’s not only my taste that’s made this house the way it is today. Oh no, it’s my money. I suppose you’re like everyone else, you think it was Max who paid for all this.” She waved a hand vaguely above her head, presumably indicating the yellow drawing room. “I mean, when I came here, the whole place was like that study of his, that dump. You thought that, didn’t you, darling? Now be honest.”

I said, with perfect truth, that I’d never thought about it. I was still recovering from the shock of hearing her criticize Max, an activity I’d have thought impossible.

“Everyone thinks that, but nothing could be further from the truth. After all, when all’s said and done he’s only a lecturer at a university.” Selina made it sound as if such people were two a penny. “And what they earn is cat’s meat, chicken feed.” She seemed to seek about for more animals’ meals metaphors but failed to find them. “Anyway, he hadn’t two halfpennies to rub together, darling, if you know what halfpennies are at your age. I’ve even heard people suggest I married him for his money when the truth is I married him for his mind and because I was so desperately in love with him. I’ve given him everything, my youth, my money, my love and devotion. I must have been mad. Oh, don’t look at me like that, darling, just because you don’t understand. You’re so young, you haven’t lived, you know nothing, nothing.”

At this point Selina really did begin to wring her hands. I said I was very sorry, though I didn’t know what I was being sorry for, and could I get her anything? A cup of tea?