ark against the west, while an ivory moon shimmered
on the dying azure of the day behind.

Throughout June the image of Kathleen became gradually fainter and
fainter with each materialization that Michael evoked. Then one evening
before dinner he found that the maid had forgotten to put a fresh cake
of soap in the dish. It was a question of ringing the bell or of
callously using Kathleen's commemorative tablet. Michael went to his
drawer and, as he slowly washed his hands, he washed from his mind the
few insignificant outlines of Kathleen that were printed there. The
soap was Trefle Incarnat, and somewhat cynically Michael relished the
savour of it, and even made up his mind to buy a full fat cake when this
one should be finished. Kathleen, however, even in the fragrant moment
of her annihilation, had her revenge, for Michael experienced a return
of the old restlessness and discontent that was not mitigated by Alan's
increasing preoccupation with cricket. He did not complain of this, for
he respected the quest of School Colours, and was proud for Alan. At the
same time something must be done to while away these warm summer
evenings until at Basingstead Minor, where his mother had delightfully
agreed to take a cottage for the summer, he and Alan could revive old
days at Cobble Place.

One evening Michael went out about nine o'clock to post a letter and,
finding the evening velvety and calm, strolled on through the enticing
streets of twilight. The violet shadows in which the white caps and
aprons of gossiping maids took on a moth-like immaterial beauty, the
gliding, enraptured lovers, the scent of freshly watered flower-boxes,
the stars winking between the chimney-pots, and all the drowsy alertness
of a fine London dusk drew him on to turn each new corner as it arrived,
until he saw the sky stained with dull gold from the reflection of the
lively crater of the Earl's Court Exhibition, and heard over the vague
intervening noises music that was sometimes clearly melodious, sometimes
a mere confusion of spasmodic sound.

Michael suddenly thought he would like to spend his evening at the
Exhibition, and wondered to himself why he had never thought of going
there casually like this, why always he had considered it necessary to
devote a hot afternoon and flurried evening to its exploitation. By the
entrance he met a fellow-Jacobean, one Drake, whose accentuated
mannishness, however disagreeable in the proximity of the school