you've lost it,
that's not my fault.'

Such speeches took Vera very much aback. And she, too, in her turn, now
saw the dangers of a quarrel, and in this second altercation it was
Stephen who won. He said he would not even mention the disappearance of
the hat to the hotel manager. He was sure it must be in one of Vera's
trunks. And in the end Vera performed that day's trip in another hat.

They reached the Five Towns much earlier than they had
anticipated--before lunch on the ninth day, whereas the new servants in
their new house at Bursley were only expecting them for dinner. So
Stephen had the agreeable idea of stopping the car in front of the new
Hotel Metropole at Hanbridge and lunching there. Precisely opposite
this new and luxurious caravanserai (as they love to call it in the
Five Towns) is the imposing garage and agency where Stephen had hired
the Napier car. Felix said he would lunch hurriedly in order to
transact certain business at the garage before taking them on to
Bursley. After lunch, however, Vera caught him transacting business
with a chambermaid in a corridor. Shocking though the revelation is, it
needs to be said that Felix was kissing the chambermaid. The blow to
Mrs Cheswardine was severe. She had imagined that Felix spent all his
time in gazing up to her as an unattainable star.

She spoke to Stephen about it, in the accents of disillusion. 'What?'
cried Stephen. 'Don't you know? They're engaged to be married. Her name
is Mary Callear. She used to be parlourmaid at Uncle John's at
Oldcastle. But hotels pay higher wages.'

Felix engaged to a parlourmaid! Felix, who had always seemed to Vera a
gentleman in disguise! Yes, it was indeed a blow!

But balm awaited Vera at her new home in Bursley. A parcel, obviously
containing a cardboard box, had arrived for Stephen. He opened it, and
the lost hat was inside it. Stephen read a note, and explained that the
hotel people at Bath had found it and forwarded it. He began to praise
the hat anew. He made Vera put it on instantly, and seemed delighted.
So much so that Vera went out to the porch to say good-bye to Felix in
a most forgiving frame of mind. She forgave Felix for being engaged to
the chambermaid.

And there was the chambermaid walking up the drive, quite calmly!
Felix, also quite calmly, asked Vera to excuse him, and told the
chambermaid to get into the car and sit beside him. He then informed
Vera that he had to go with the car immediately to