“I thought you were going to take a flat.”

“That’s what he said, but we just took furnished apartments in Highbury.  He was that mean.  He said I was extravagant, he didn’t give me anything to be extravagant with.”

She had an extraordinary way of mixing the trivial with the important.  Philip was puzzled.  The whole thing was incomprehensible.

“No man could be such a blackguard.”

“You don’t know him.  I wouldn’t go back to him now not if he was to come and ask me on his bended knees.  I was a fool ever to think of him.  And he wasn’t earning the money he said he was.  The lies he told me!”

Philip thought for a minute or two.  He was so deeply moved by her distress that he could not think of himself.

“Would you like me to go to Birmingham?  I could see him and try to make things up.”

“Oh, there’s no chance of that.  He’ll never come back now, I know him.”

“But he must provide for you.  He can’t get out of that.  I don’t know anything about these things, you’d better go and see a solicitor.”

“How can I?  I haven’t got the money.”

“I’ll pay all that.  I’ll write a note to my own solicitor, the sportsman who was my father’s executor.  Would you like me to come with you now?  I expect he’ll still be at his office.”

“No, give me a letter to him.  I’ll go alone.”

She was a little calmer now.  He sat down and wrote a note.  Then he remembered that she had no money.  He had fortunately changed a cheque the day before and was able to give her five pounds.

“You are good to me, Philip,” she said.

“I’m so happy to be able to do something for you.”

“Are you fond of me still?”

“Just as fond as ever.”

She put up her lips and he kissed her.  There was a surrender in the action which he had never seen in her before.  It was worth all the agony he had suffered.

She went away and he found that she had been there for two hours.  He was extraordinarily happy.

“Poor thing, poor thing,” he murmured to himself, his heart glowing with a greater love than he had ever felt before.

He never thought of Norah at all till about eight o’clock a telegram came.  He knew before opening it that it was from her.

Is anything the matter?  Norah.

He did not know what to do nor what to answer.  He could fetch her after the play, in which she was walking on, was over and stroll home with her as he sometimes did; but his whole soul revolted against the idea of seeing her that evening.  He thought of writing to her, but he could not bring himself to address her as usual, dearest Norah.  He made up his mind to telegraph.

Sorry.  Could not get away, Philip.

He visualised her.  He was slightly repelled by the ugly little face, with its high cheekbones and the crude colour.  There was a coarseness in her skin which gave him goose-flesh.  He knew that his telegram must be followed by some action on his part, but at all events it postponed it.