tinct naturally was to run up
to Councillor Cotterill's in it. Not that he loved Councillor Cotterill,
and therefore wished to make him a partaker in his joy; for he did not
love Councillor Cotterill. He had never been able to forgive Nellie's
father for those patronising airs years and years before at Llandudno,
airs indeed which had not even yet disappeared from Cotterill's attitude
towards Denry. Though they were Councillors on the same Town Council,
though Denry was getting richer and Cotterill was assuredly not getting
richer, the latter's face and tone always seemed to be saying to Denry:
"Well, you are not doing so badly for a beginner." So Denry did not care
to lose an opportunity of impressing Councillor Cotterill. Moreover,
Denry had other reasons for going up to the Cotterills. There existed a
sympathetic bond between him and Mrs Cotterill, despite her prim
taciturnity and her exasperating habit of sitting with her hands pressed
tight against her body and one over the other. Occasionally he teased
her--and she liked being teased. He had glimpses now and then of her
secret soul; he was perhaps the only person in Bursley thus privileged.
Then there was Nellie. Denry and Nellie were great friends. For the rest
of the world she had grown up, but not for Denry, who treated her as the
chocolate child; while she, if she called him anything, called him
respectfully "Mr."

The Cotterills had a fairly large old house with a good garden "up
Bycars Lane," above the new park and above all those red streets which
Mr Cotterill had helped to bring into being. Mr Cotterill built new
houses with terra-cotta facings for others, but preferred an old one in
stucco for himself. His abode had been saved from the parcelling out of
several Georgian estates. It was dignified. It had a double entrance
gate, and from this portal the drive started off for the house door, but
deliberately avoided reaching the house door until it had wandered in
curves over the entire garden. That was the Georgian touch! The modern
touch was shown in Councillor Cotterill's bay windows, bath-room and
garden squirter. There was stabling, in which were kept a Victorian
dogcart and a Georgian horse, used by the Councillor in his business. As
sure as ever his wife or daughter wanted the dogcart, it was either out
or just going out, or the Georgian horse was fatigued and needed repose.
The man who groomed the Georgian also ploughed the flowerbeds, broke the
wind