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stood in its blatant newness.
    “I am glad,” said Lady Tressilian, closing her eyes, “that Matthew never saw that vulgar building. The coastline was quite unspoilt in his time.”
    Sir Matthew and Lady Tressilian had come to Gull's Point thirty years ago. It was nine years since Sir Matthew, an enthusiastic sailing man, had capsized his dinghy and been drowned almost in front of his wife's eyes.
    Everybody had expected her to sell Gull's Point and leave Saltcreek, but Lady Tressilian had not done so. She had lived on in the house, and her only visible reaction had been to dispose of all the boats and do away with the boat-house. There were no boats available for guests at Gull's Point. They had to walk along to the ferry and hire a boat from one of the rival boatmen there.
    Mary said, hesitating a little: “Shall I write, then, to Nevile, and tell him that what he proposes does not fit in with our plans?”
    “I certainly shall not dream of interfering with Audrey's visit. She has always come to us in September and I shall not ask her to change her plans.”
    Mary said, looking down at the letter: “You did see that Nevile says Audrey - er -approves of the idea - that she is quite willing to meet Kay?”
    “I simply don't believe it,” said Lady Tressilian. “Nevile, like all men, believes what he wants to believe!”
    Mary persisted: “He says he has actually spoken to her about it.”
    “What a very odd thing to do! No - perhaps, after all, it isn't.”
    Mary looked at her inquiringly.
    “Like Henry the Eighth,” said Lady Tressilian.
    Mary looked puzzled.
    Lady Tressilian elaborated her last remark.
    “Conscience, you know! Henry was always trying to get Catherine to agree that the divorce was the right thing. Nevile knows that he has behaved badly - he wants to feel comfortable about it all. So he has been trying to bully Audrey into saying everything is all right and that she'll come and meet Kay and that she doesn't mind at all.”
    “I wonder,” said Mary slowly.
    Lady Tressilian looked at her sharply.
    “What's in your mind, my dear?”
    “I was wondering -” She stopped, then went on: “It - it seems so unlike Nevile -this letter! You don't think that, for some reason, Audrey wants this - this meeting?”
    “Why should she?” said Lady Tressilian sharply. “After Nevile left her she went to her aunt, Mrs. Royde, at the Rectory, and had a complete breakdown. She was absolutely like a ghost of her former self. Obviously it hit her terribly hard. She's one of those quiet self-contained people who feel things intensely.”
    Mary moved uneasily.
    “Yes, she is intense. A queer girl in many ways ...”
    “She suffered a lot ... Then the divorce went through and Nevile married the girl, and little by little Audrey began to get over it. Now she's almost back to her old self. You can't tell me she wants to rake up old memories again.”
    Mary said with gentle obstinacy: “Nevile says she does.” The old lady looked at her curiously.
    “You're extraordinarily obstinate about this, Mary. Why? Do you want to have them here together?”
    Mary Aldin flushed. “No, of course not.”
    Lady Tressilian said sharply: “It's not you who have been suggesting all this to Nevile?”
    “How can you be so absurd?”
    “Well, I don't believe for a minute it's really his idea. It's not like Nevile.” She paused a minute, then her face cleared. “It's the 1st of May tomorrow, isn't it? Well, on the 3rd Audrey is coming to stay with the Darlingtons at Esbank. It's only twenty miles away. Write and ask her to come over and lunch here.”
    May 5th.
    “Mrs. Strange, m'lady.”
    Audrey Strange came into the big bedroom, crossed the room to the big bed, stooped down and kissed the old lady and sat down in the chair placed ready for her.
    “Nice to see you, my dear,” said Lady Tressilian. “And nice to see you,” said Audrey.
    There was a quality of intangibility about Audrey Strange. She was of medium height