Something about the last seven words of that speech went direct to Miss Mayfield’s sentimental heart. She could not remember any time when anyone or anything had awaited her coming, for in Entuba she and Rose on their extremely rare outings always went together. Still bending over the ecstatically purring cat, she thought, My cup is full. She added a humble and heartfelt, Thank you, God.

3

BY EIGHT O’CLOCK THAT EVENING MISS MAYFIELD had only one job left to do before her moving in was complete, and that was to arrange her books.

She had opened the crate when the cat made one of his dramatic appearances, and she remembered that it was some time since she had last seen him; it was time that he went out. She straightened herself and set the front door open, saying, ‘Come along, puss.’ The cat took three steps in the desired direction and then jumped sideways, taking refuge under the gate-legged table. She bent down, resting one hand on the crate, which stood between the table and the door, and extended the other towards him enticingly.

‘Come along,’ she said. ‘If you are going to live with me, you must get into good habits.’

‘Quite right, Miss Mayfield,’ said a voice from the doorway.

She straightened herself and turned in a quick, nervous movement, and then was ashamed because it was only Canon Thorby.

‘I do hope I didn’t startle you,’ he said. ‘I could see you; I didn’t realize that you couldn’t see me.’

‘I wasn’t startled, just surprised. Please come in.’

He walked to the table and smacked it sharply with the flat of his hand.

‘Out!’ he said, and the cat shot across the hall and out at the doorway, as though propelled from behind.

Canon Thorby laughed.

‘I seem to have influence with cats! I never knew. Well, I thought I’d just look in and say hullo, and welcome, and apologize for the breakdown in the transport arrangement this morning. You had my message?’

‘No. No message. But it was quite all right. I found a taxi – or, rather, a taxi found me.’

‘Really,’ he said, with a hint of petulance in his voice, ‘they are careless these days. I telephoned the Station Master and explained, and asked him to apologize and have a cab standing by. How aggravating! You see, we’ve had an old woman in Wandford Hospital, making good progress, too, but at eight o’clock this morning I had a message to say she was sinking, so the car had to take her two daughters there. Both highly hysterical types, so I went with them. And a very horrible day I have had. All the way there, noisy unrestrained grief, and all the way back, an acrimonious squabble about which should inherit the grandfather clock.’