‘Em was dead right in what she said afore she altered; we are real lucky to hev you with us. You’ve lightened my load. He stood up and evidently, as he did so, suffered a prod from his Methodist conscience. ‘Of course, what God choose for us to bear we must bear; I know that, I don’t want for you to think I was whining or groaning. We’re in God’s hands and His will must be done. Only, I’m glad and thankful that He saw fit to send me, through you, a ray of light. So I’ll say goodnight, and God bless you.’

‘I haven’t paid you for the shoes, Mr Baines.’

‘Thass nothing. So long as you live in reach of me, you don’t hev to pay for shoes, nor no other job I can ever do for you, Miss.’

‘That’s very kind. And very rash. I might live here for another twenty years and grow very demanding.’

‘I’m sure I hope you will.’

When she had seen him out of the door and returned to the sitting room, the cat, which she had not known was there, was just emerging from behind the sofa, yawning, showing its tiny white teeth, its curled pink tongue. It made for the door, turned towards the kitchen and when Miss Mayfield opened the back door for it, leaped the wall and disappeared.

The voice in Miss Mayfield’s mind said, Going home to report.

Suddenly she was frightened, not of the situation in which she found herself, but of her own state of mind. I’ve caught the infection, she thought; I’ve just spent half an hour telling near lies, covering up for Mrs Rigby and Mrs Baines, concealing what I suspect. I’ve sent Wesley Baines off, cheered by my euphemistic words, and then I turn straight around and think that about a cat.

She had intended to have supper; instead she went and sat down at the elegant little Queen Anne writing table and wrote to Rose. She wrote as she would have talked had her friend been in the room with her, putting down everything – what she imagined, what she guessed at, what she feared – and then, as she would have in a conversation, contradicting herself and offering alternate explanations.