n. "Be nice to the lady, Oscar, and see her out, like the
gent you are," cried Mrs Gowler, before shutting the door.

Alone with the grinning idiot, Mavis shut her eyes, the while she
finished her tea. She did not want her baby to be in any way affected
by the acute mental discomfort occasioned to its mother by the presence
of Mrs Gowler's son, a contingency she had understood could easily be a
reality. When she looked about for her hat and umbrella, she
discovered, to her great relief, that she was alone, Oscar having
apparently slipped out after his mother, the kitchen door being ajar.
Mavis drew on her gloves, stopped her ears with her fingers as she
passed along the passage, opened the door and hurried away from the
house.

Once outside, the beauty of the sweet spring day emphasised the horror
of the house she had left.

She set her lips grimly, thought lovingly of Perigal, and resolved to
dwell on her approaching ordeal as little as possible. Before returning
to Mrs Scatchard's, she looked in to see Miss Nippett, who, with the
coming of summer, seemed to lose strength daily. She now hardly ever
got up, but remained in bed all day, where she would talk softly to
herself. She always brightened up when Mavis came into the room, and
was ever keenly interested in the latest news from the academy,
particularly in Mr Poulter's physical and economic wellbeing. Seeing
how make-believe inquiries of Mr Poulter after his accompanist's health
cheered the lonely old woman, Mavis had no compunction in employing
these white lies to brighten Miss Nippett's monotonous days.

She raised herself in bed and nodded a welcome as Mavis entered the
room. After assuring Mavis "that she was all right, reely she was," she
asked:

"When are you going to 'ave your baby?"

"Very soon now," sighed Mavis.

"I don't think I shall ever 'ave one," remarked Miss Nippett.

"Indeed!"

"They're a great tie if one has a busy life," she said, to add
wistfully, "Though it would be nice if one could get Mr Poulter for a
godfather."

"Wouldn't it!" echoed Mavis.

"Give it a good start in the world, you know. It 'ud be something to
talk about 'avin' 'im for a godfather."

Presently, when Mavis stooped to kiss the wan face before going, Miss
Nippett said:

"If I was to die, d'ye know what 'ud make me die 'appy?"

"Don't talk such nonsense: at your age, too."

"If I could just be made a partner in 'Poulter's,'" continued Miss
Nippett. "Not f