he would have bitterly regretted the pain
that her words may have inflicted. Now, she was indifferent to any
annoyance that she may have caused Mrs Farthing. If anything, she was
rather pleased with herself for having shown the woman her place.

It was something of an experience for Mavis to spend the evening in the
sitting-room of a country railway station. Stillness violently
alternated with the roar and rush of the trains. Mr Medlicott spent his
spare time in the sitting-room, where his eyes never deserted the
faded, uncanny-looking cabinet piano, which spread its expanse of faded
green silk at one end of the room.

Mavis noticed his preoccupation.

"I wonder if you would do me a favour?" she asked.

"And what might that be?"

"If you would sing?"

"Delighted!" he cried, as he excitedly sprang to his feet.

"How nice of you!"

"Stay! What about the accompaniment?"

"I can manage that."

"At sight?"

"I think so."

"You're an acquisition to Melkbridge. There's one other thing."

"I knew you'd disappoint me. What is it?"

"The 7.53," replied the station-master, looking at his watch. "It's
almost due."

"We can make a start," suggested Mavis.

Mr Medlicott quickly produced a collection of old-fashioned ballads,
the covers of many of which were decorated with strange, pictorial
devices.

"Stay! What say to 'Primrose Farm'?"

"Anything, so long as you sing," replied Mavis.

Mr Medlicott delightedly cleared his throat. It did not take Mavis long
to discover that the station-master had little ear for music; he sang
flat, although Mavis did her best to assist him by including in her
accompaniment the notes of the vocal score. The song was no sooner
concluded than the station-master caught up his braided cap and ran
downstairs to meet the 7.53. Upon his return, he sang many songs. No
sooner was one ended than he commenced another; they were only
interrupted by the arrival of trains.

The room became insupportably hot. During one of Mr Medlicott's
absences, Mavis asked his wife if she might open the window that
overlooked the platform. Where Mavis sat by it, she could see Mr
Medlicott performing his duties below. Once or twice, she fancied her
ear caught strange sounds, which could be heard above the shouts of the
porters and the noises of escaping steam; they proceeded from where Mr
Medlicott stood. The noises became more insistent, when it occurred to
Mavis that the station-master was taking advan