r ostentatiously opened the Church Times. Mavis
scribbled on her blotting paper till Miss Toombs brought out a
brown-paper-covered book from her desk, which she handed to Mavis.

"It's 'Richard Feverel'; if you haven't read it, you can take it home."

"Thanks. I'll take great care of it. I haven't read it."

"Not read Richard Feverel?" asked Miss Toombs, as she raised her
eyebrows, but did not look at Mavis.

"Is it always easy like this?" Mavis asked of Miss Hunter, as they were
putting on their things at half-past four.

"You call it easy?"

"Very. Is it always like this?"

"Always, except just before Christmas, when there's a bit of a rush,
worse luck," replied Miss Hunter, to add after a moment: "It interferes
with one's social engagements."

Mavis walked to her rooms with a light heart. It was good to tread the
hard, firm roads, with their foundation of rock, to meet and be greeted
by the ruddy-faced, solidly built Wiltshire men and women, many of whom
stopped to stare after the comely, graceful girl with the lithe stride.

When Mavis had had tea and had settled herself comfortably by the fire
with her book, she felt wholly contented and happy. Now and again, she
put down Richard Feverel to look about her, and, with an immense
satisfaction, to contrast the homely cleanliness of her surroundings
with the dingy squalor of Mrs Bilkins's second floor back. It was one
of the happiest evenings she ever spent. She often looked back to it
with longing in her later stressful days.

About seven, she heard a knock at her door. She called out "Come in,"
at which, after much fumbling at the door handle, a big fair man, with
wide-open blue eyes, stood in the doorway. He looked like a huge,
even-tempered child; he carried two paper-covered books in his hand.

"I'm Farthing, miss," the man informed her.

"Good evening," said Mavis, who would scarcely have been surprised if
Farthing had brought out a handful of marbles and started playing with
them.

"The driver's out, miss, so--"

"The driver?" interrupted Mavis.

"Mrs Farthing, miss. I be only fireman when her be about," he humbly
informed her.

"Won't you sit down?"

"I? No, thankee, miss. I thought you might want summat to read, so I
brought you these."

Here Mr Farthing handed Mavis a Great Western Railway time table,
together with "Places of Interest on the Great Western Railway."

"How kind of you! I shall be delighted to read them," declared Mavis
u