"May I have the honour of calling on you again?" he asked with
old-fashioned courtesy.

"It would be useless. I go away to-morrow."

"For good?"

"For some weeks."

"If you return, perhaps you would honour me by calling on me. I never
see anyone. But, if you would permit me to say so, your friendship
would be an honour."

"Thank you, but I don't know what I shall be doing," said Mavis wearily.

A few moments later, Major Perigal took his leave, but without
recovering from his unaffected surprise at Mavis's honesty. He looked
at her many times, to say, as he went out of the door of the parlour:

"I always believed Charles to have brains: now I know him to be a
cursed fool."

The following day, Mavis, accompanied by Mrs Trivett and Jill, set out
for Swanage. They took train to Dorchester, where they changed into the
South-Western system, which carried them to Swanage, after making a
further change at ancient Wareham. Arrived at Swanage station, they
took a fly to the house of a Mrs Budd, where lodgings, at the doctor's
recommendation, had been secured. On their way to Mrs Budd's, Mavis
noticed a young man in a hand-propelled tricycle, which the fly
overtook. The nature of the machine told Mavis that its occupant was a
cripple.

If she had encountered him eighteen months ago, her heart would have
filled with pity at seeing the comely young man's extremity: now, she
looked at him very much as she might have noticed a cat crossing the
road.

Mrs Budd was waiting on the doorstep in anxious expectation of her
lodgers. To see her white hair, all but toothless mouth, and wrinkled
face, she looked seventy, which was about her age; but to watch her
alert, brisk movements, it would seem as if she enjoyed the energy of
twenty. She ushered Mavis into her apartments, talking volubly the
while; but the latter could not help seeing that, whereas she was
treated with the greatest deference by the landlady, this person quite
ignored the existence of Mrs Trivett.

It was with a feeling of relief that Mavis sat down to a meal after the
door had been closed on Mrs Budd's chatter. The change had already done
her good. Her eyes rested approvingly on the spotless table
appointments.

"Poor dear!" exclaimed Mrs Trivett in pitying tones, who waited to see
if Mavis had everything she wanted before eating with Mrs Budd in the
kitchen.

"What's the matter?" asked Mavis.

"I knew something dreadful would happen. It's the anniv