nd listened patiently to Lady Rockham
who discoursed at length on the imperfections of the weather, the
noisiness of London streets and the prowess of Charles Rockham on the
Kidderwick links. She felt conscious of having to return thanks for what
she was about to receive.

Lady Rockham's kindness persisted up to the door to which she showed
Victoria. She dismissed her with the Parthian shot that 'they would find
something for her, something quite nice.'

Victoria walked away; cold gusts of wind struck her, chilling her to the
bone, catching and furling her skirts about her. She felt at the same
time cheered and depressed. The interview had been inconclusive.
However, as she walked over the Serpentine bridge, under which the wind
was angrily ruffling the black water, a great wave of optimism came over
her; for it was late, and she remembered that in the Edgware Road, there
was a small Italian restaurant where she was about to lunch.

It was well for Victoria that she was an optimist and a good sleeper,
for November had waned into December before anything happened to disturb
the tenor of her life. For a whole fortnight she had heard nothing from
Lady Rockham or from Edward. She had written to Molly but had received
no answer. All day long the knocker fell with brutal emphasis upon the
doors of Portsea Place and brought her nothing. She did not think much
or hope much. She did nothing and spent little. Her only companion was
Mrs Bell, who still hovered round her mysterious lodger, so ladylike and
so quiet.

She passed hours sometimes at the window watching the stream of life in
Portsea Place. The stream did not flow very swiftly; its principal
eddies vanished by midday with the milkman and the butcher. The postman
recurred more often but he did not count. Now and then the policeman
passed and spied suspiciously into the archway where the landladies no
longer met. Cabs trotted into it now and then to change horses.

Victoria watched alone. Beyond Mrs Bell, she seemed to know nobody. The
young man downstairs continued to be invisible, and contented himself
with slamming the door. The young lady in the back room continued to
wash discreetly and to snore gently at night. Sometimes Victoria
ventured abroad to be bitten by the blast. Sometimes she strayed over
the town in the intervals of food. She had to exercise caution in this,
for an aspect of the lodging house fire had only lately dawned upon her.
If she did not order