IV

little cheerful affectionate remarks and waited silent a moment before asking if it rained. Miriam forgot Eve and gathered herself together for some tremendous communication. Was it raining? She glanced at the outside London world and was lost in interchanging scenes, her mind split up, pressing several ways at once. Mrs. Bailey saw all these scenes and felt and understood them exactly as she did. There was no need to answer the question. She glanced stonily towards her and saw the downcast held-in embarrassment of her waiting form. In a dry professional official voice she said gazing at the hearthrug with an air of judicial profundity, no , at least oh yes, I think it is raining and drifted helplessly towards the window. The challenge was behind her. She would have to face it again. A borrowed voice said briskly within her yes it’s pouring, I hope it will be fine tomorrow, what weather we have had; well good night Mrs. Bailey. I have been to a lecture she said in imagination standing by the window. It was what any other boarder would have said and then so fine, such a splendid lecturer and told the subject and his name and one idea out of the lecture and they would have agreed and gone cheerfully to bed, with no thoughts. To try and really tell anything about the lecture would be to plunge down into misrepresentations and misunderstandings and end with the lecture vanished. To say anything real about it would lead to living the rest of her life with the Baileys helping them with their plans⁠ ⁠… she turned and came busily back. It’s very late she murmured. Mrs. Bailey smiled and yawned. At least not so very late, not quite tomorrow she pursued turning round to the clock and back again to consult the pictures and the wallpaper. Just staying there was answering Mrs. Bailey’s question. Suddenly she laughed out and turned, laughing, as if she were about to communicate some mirthful memory. It’s too absurd she said distracted between the joy of her lingering laughter and the need for instantly inventing an explanation. Mrs. Bailey was laughing delightedly. There was a most absurd thing⁠—chanted Miriam above her laughter; a gentle tap took Mrs. Bailey scurrying to the door. May I have a candle Mrs. Bailey