"

"Really?" asked Mavis, genuinely concerned for her friend's health.

"It's a great pity. Accompanists like her are hard to find. Besides,
she was well acquainted with all the many ramifications of the academy."

Mavis recalled that, in the old days of her association with
"Poulter's," she had noticed that otherwise kindly Mr Poulter took Miss
Nippett's body and soul loyalty to him quite as a matter of course.
Time, apparently, had not caused him to think otherwise of the faithful
accompanist than as a once capable but now failing machine.

Mr Poulter asked Mavis what had happened to her since he had last seen
her. She told him the fiction of her marriage; it hurt her to see how
glibly the lie now fell from her lips.

After Mr Poulter had congratulated her and her absent husband, he said:

"I fear you would not care to undertake any accompanying."

"But I should."

"As you did before?"

"Certainly!"

It was then arranged that Mavis should commence work at the academy on
that day, for much the same terms she was paid before. This matter
being settled, she asked for notepaper and envelope, on which she wrote
to Mrs Farthing, asking her to be so good as to send Jill at once, and
to be sure to let her know by what train she would arrive at
Paddington. Mavis was careful to head the notepaper with the address of
the academy; she did not wish anyone at Melkbridge to know her actual
address. After taking leave of Mr Poulter and posting her letter, she
repaired to Miss Nippett's as arranged. The accompanist was now out of
bed, in a chair before the fire. Directly she caught sight of Mavis,
she said:

"'As he won?"

"Yes, he's won the great cotillion prize competition."

A look of intense joy illumined Miss Nippett's face.

"Isn't he proud?" she asked.

"Very!"

"An' me not there to see him in his triumph." A cloud overspread Miss
Nippett's features.

"What's the matter?" asked Mavis.

"Did he--did he send and tell you to tell me as 'ow he'd won."

The wistful old eyes were so pleading, that Mavis fibbed.

"Of course he sent me."

"I thought he wouldn't forget his old friend," she remarked with a sigh
of relief. "'E'd surely know I was anxious to know."

Mavis told Miss Nippett of her engagement to play at "Poulter's" during
the latter's absence.

"Don't you count on it being for long," said Miss Nippett.

"I hope it won't be, for your sake."

"I'm counting the minute' till I shall be back again