“What you saw were the weights for the Spring Handicaps.  They’ve simply done me out of everything.  In great haste,

“Your affectionate son,
“George Pendyce.”

As the spring approached, the vision of her independent visit to London, which had sustained her throughout the winter, having performed its annual function, grew mistier and mistier, and at last faded away.  She ceased even to dream of it, as though it had never been, nor did George remind her, and as usual, she ceased even to wonder whether he would remind her.  She thought instead of the season visit, and its scurry of parties, with a sort of languid fluttering.  For Worsted Skeynes, and all that Worsted Skeynes stood for, was like a heavy horseman guiding her with iron hands along a narrow lane; she dreamed of throwing him in the open, but the open she never reached.

She woke at seven with her tea, and from seven to eight made little notes on tablets, while on his back Mr. Pendyce snored lightly.  She rose at eight.  At nine she poured out coffee.  From half-past nine to ten she attended to the housekeeper and her birds.  From ten to eleven she attended to the gardener and her dress.  From eleven to twelve she wrote invitations to persons for whom she did not care, and acceptances to persons who did not care for her; she drew out also and placed in due sequence cheques for Mr. Pendyce’s signature; and secured receipts, carefully docketed on the back, within an elastic band; as a rule, also, she received a visit from Mrs. Husell Barter.  From twelve to one she walked with her and “the dear dogs” to the village, where she stood hesitatingly in the cottage doors of persons who were shy of her.  From half-past one to two she lunched.  From two to three she rested on a sofa in the white morning-room with the newspaper in her hand, trying to read the Parliamentary debate, and thinking of other things.  From three to half-past four she went to her dear flowers, from whom she was liable to be summoned at any moment by the arrival of callers; or, getting into the carriage, was driven to some neighbour’s mansion, where she sat for half an hour and came away.  At half-past four she poured out tea.  At five she knitted a tie, or socks, for George or Gerald, and listened with a gentle smile to what was going on.  From six to seven she received from the Squire his impressions of Parliament and things at large.  From seven to seven-thirty she changed to a black low dress, with old lace about the neck.  At seven-thirty she dined.  At a quarter to nine she listened to Norah playing two waltzes of Chopin’s, and a piece called “Serenade du Printemps” by Baff, and to Bee singing “The Mikado,” or the “Saucy Girl” From nine to ten thirty she played a game called piquet, which her father had taught her, if she could get anyone with whom to play; but as this was seldom, she played as a rule patience by herself.  At ten-thirty she went to bed.  At eleven-thirty punctually the Squire