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but that might have been due to awkwardness. ‘We’ve had rather a lot of bother with people coming around lately, and my father … he’s been ill, and came here to convalesce, so you can imagine that he prefers to be left to himself.’
    ‘Did I look like an autograph hunter?’
    For the first time there was a twitch of amusement. ‘Well, no. But your dolphin has been more of anattraction even than my father: the word got round somehow that it was being photographed hereabouts, and then of course the rumour started that a film was being made, so we got a few boat-loads of sightseers coming round into the bay, not to mention stray parties in the woods. It’s all been a bit trying. I wouldn’t mind, personally, if people wanted to use the beach, if it weren’t that they always come armed with transistor radios, and that I cannot stand. I’m a professional musician, and I’m here to work.’ He added, dryly: ‘And if you’re thinking that this gives me the best of reasons for wanting to get rid of the dolphin, I can only assure you again that it didn’t occur to me.’
    ‘Well,’ I said, ‘it seems there’s no more to be said, doesn’t it? I’m sorry if I interrupted your work. I’ll go now and let you get back to it. Goodbye, Mr Gale.’
    My exit from the clearing was ruined by the fact that my wrap caught on the bramble, and came clean off me. It took me some three horrible minutes to disentangle it and go.
    But I needn’t have worried about the threat to my dignity. He had already gone. From somewhere above, and alarmingly near, I heard voices, question and answer, so brief and idle as to be in themselves an insult. Then music, as a wireless or gramophone let loose a flood of weird atonal chords on the still air.
    I could be sure I was already forgotten.

3
    This gallant which thou seest
    Was in the wrack: and but he’s something
stain’d
    With grief (that’s beauty’s canker) thou might’st
call him
    A goodly person
.
    I . 2.
    B Y the time I had showered and dressed I felt calmer, and very ready to tell Phyllida all about it, and possibly to hear her barbed comments on the unaccommodating Mr Gale. But when I looked on the terrace she was not to be seen, only the table half-laid for lunch, with the silver thrown down, as if hastily, in the middle of the cloth. There was no sign of Miranda or her mother.
    Then I heard the door from the kitchen premises swing open and shut, and the quick tap of my sister’s steps crossing the hall, to enter the big living-room she called the
salotto
.
    ‘Lucy? Was that you I heard?’
    ‘I’m out here.’ I made for the french windows as I spoke, but she had already hurried out to meet me, andone look at her face drove all thoughts of my morning’s adventure from my head.
    ‘Phyl! What’s the matter? You look ghastly. Is it Caliban?’
    She shook her head. ‘Nothing so simple. There’s been bad news, an awful thing. Poor Maria’s boy’s been drowned. Spiro, the boy I told you about at breakfast.’
    ‘
Phyl!
Oh, my dear, how frightful! But – how? When?’
    ‘Last night. He was out with Godfrey in the boat – Godfrey Manning, that is – and there was an accident. Godfrey’s just come over with the news, and I’ve been breaking it to Maria and Miranda. I – I’ve sent them home.’ She put a hand to her head. ‘Lucy, it was so awful! I simply can’t tell you. If Maria had even
said
anything, but she didn’t, not one single word … Oh well, come on in. Godfrey’s still here, you’d better come and meet him.’
    I drew back. ‘No, no, don’t you bother about me: I’ll go to my room, or something. Mr Manning won’t want to have to do the polite. Poor Phyl; I’m sorry … Look, would you like me to take myself right away for the rest of the day? I’ll go and get lunch somewhere, and then—’
    ‘No, please, I’d rather you stayed.’ She dropped her voice for a moment. ‘He’s taking it pretty hard, and quite honestly I think it might