‘Sound as a bell. As I said, you’re all right now. You may stay that way. Frankly, if I were you I wouldn’t send that letter. I think it’ll upset Hal. It puts him in an impossible position. He’s very soft-hearted. He’ll feel he’s either got to say come back to Walwyk or write you a cracking good testimonial, which would hurt his conscience. Write and tell him you’re better. And I’m sure the expressions of gratitude would please him. But I’d lay off the future arrangements, if I were you. After all, he is coming to see you.’

‘I think I shall post it as it is. It concerns my future.’

‘Please yourself. What a pity it is that you don’t drink. A good whisky’d pull you together just now.’

The letter was posted next day. When, by the end of the week, she had received no reply, she concluded that Canon Thorby had not returned from his holiday, and settled herself to wait patiently.

Miss Ellison seemed to have repented her hasty words and went out of her way to make several friendly advances, which Miss Mayfield received coolly. She wondered at herself a little, for she could look back and remember having been more deeply offended in the past and having been able to forgive the offender; it was the single word ‘loopy’ which stuck in her mind like a burr. Even if I were as mad as a hatter, she told herself that was not the thing to say. However, when, about a week after the incident with the letter, Miss Ellison said she was going into town one afternoon and invited Miss Mayfield to accompany her, she accepted the invitation in order to change her book. Miss Ellison drove more carefully but less expertly than Mrs Mott-Tyler and was not nearly so lucky in finding places to park, so they had quite a walk to reach the shops, and by the time they had done their errands, the afternoon was almost gone. Miss Mayfield, carrying her book and handbag, went straight into the garden, where Mrs Mott-Tyler and the General had just started tea.

‘We’d come to the conclusion that you’d stayed in town for tea,’ Mrs Mott-Tyler said, pouring some water from the Thermos vacuum bottle into the pot. ‘Where’s Margery?’

‘She said she was going upstairs. She had some parcels.’

Almost immediately, Miss Ellison appeared in the doorway that led to the back hall and stood there and beckoned. Mrs Mott-Tyler rose and went and joined her, and they stood, talking in low tones, for a moment or two. Then Mrs Mott-Tyler returned to the table, and Miss Mayfield noticed that she avoided her eye as she said:

‘Miss Mayfield, come inside for a second, will you? Bring your bag.’