‘Sydney’s taken the punishment this time. At least . . . that’s what I’m afraid of.’ She linked her strong clean-looking fingers together and moved them violently up and down. ‘The thing is, I know it all sounds mad, five hundred years behind the times, but I did beg Sydney not to say a word; and he must have for you to go round there so fast. And this is the result!’ Her eyes flooded with tears. ‘I punished him for going near Ethel again. A fine thing it’d be if the last thing I ever did to my own poor little boy was to punish him!’

‘Mrs Baines, you mustn’t even think such things. Sydney may have a simple chill, or be preparing to go down with one of those childish complaints – mumps, measles.’

‘It could be something like that, I suppose. Or just shock and worry, leading to acidosis; that can take peculiar forms. But I have a feeling inside myself that . . .’ She broke off and once more angrily applied her handkerchief, and again looked at her watch.

‘You’ll be easier in your mind if you get back,’ Miss Mayfield said. ‘I’ll walk with you, and then if you feel like discussing the other matter, we can talk as we go: If not, we can leave it till another time.’

‘I’m afraid it’s too late already,’ Mrs Baines said, going to the door. ‘It’s about the eleven-plus that Sydney should by rights have taken in February.’

‘Why didn’t he?’

‘They none of them ever do. And if you look at it from one way, why should they? They’re safe here, being taught well, in the best of circumstances, till they’re old enough – like Juliet Reeve – to go on to college. If they stay in Walwyk, there’s the point. And there again, who’d want to move? Pretty cottages, all up to date, septic tanks and everything, ten shillings a week at the most. Mr Frisby and Mr Tharkell, and Tom Maverick if you come to that, are as good employers as you’d find anywhere. Nobody ever wanted to move, so why should their children be bothered with the eleven-plus? Now I do want to move, and what I want to know is, is there any way of getting Sydney into a grammar school now? When he’s better, of course, I mean.’

‘I can’t answer that at the moment; but I can find out for you.’

‘I’d be everlastingly obliged if you would. You see, they’ve tied things up so nowadays you can’t buy your boy an education unless you’re rolling in money. I could go private nursing and knock up quite a bit; I could pay for Sydney to go to grammar school, but it just can’t be done, not without this eleven-plus.’