d by some distressingly Anti-Ford spirit, and that nothing
she might say in parenthesis like this ought to be remembered against
her.

"Oh, God," said Miss Ford, "I have come because I am hungry, hungry for
what you spoke of last night, in the dark.... You spoke of an April
sea--clashing of cymbals was the expression you used, wasn't it? You
spoke of a shore of brown diamonds flat to the ruffled sea ... and
white sandhills under a thin veil of grass ... and tamarisks all blown
one way...."

"Well?" said the witch.

"Well," faltered Miss Ford. "I think I came to ask you ... whether you
knew of nice lodgings there ... plain wholesome bath ... respectable
cooking, hot and cold ..."

Her voice faded away pathetically.

There was a sudden shattering, as the door burst open, and a dog and a
suit-case were swept in by a brisk broomstick.

"I am so sorry, Miss Watkins," said Miss Ford stiffly. Her face was
scarlet--neat and formal again now, but scarlet.--"I am so sorry if I
have talked nonsense. I am rather run down, I think, too much work, four
important meetings yesterday. I sometimes think I shall break down. I
have such alarming nerve-storms."

She looked nervously at Sarah Brown. It is always tiresome to meet
fellow-members of committees in private life, especially if one is in a
mood for having nerve-storms. People may be excellent in a philanthropic
way, of course, and yet impossible socially.

But Sarah Brown had heard very little. She always found Miss Ford's
voice difficult. She was on her knees asking her dog David what it had
felt like, coming. But David was still too much dazed to say much.

"You must not think," said Miss Ford, "that because I am a practical
worker I have no understanding of Inner Meanings. On the contrary, I
have perhaps wasted too much of my time on spiritual matters. That is
why I take quite a personal and special interest in your case. I had a
great friend, now in the trenches, alas, who possessed Power. He used to
come to my Wednesdays--at least I used to invite him to come, but he was
dreamy like you and constantly mistook the date. He helped me
enormously, and I miss him.... Well, the truest charity should be
anything but formal, I think, and I saw at a glance that your case was
exceptional, and that you also were Occult----"

"How d'you mean--occult?" asked the witch. "Do you mean just knowing
magic?"

"A strange mixture," mused Miss Ford self-consciously. It is impossible