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which didn’t invite more questions so she fell silent. When the silence became rather too long, she began to talk about the weather, that great stand-by of British conversation.
    But she couldn’t talk about that for ever. She said, ‘I won’t talk any more; I expect you want to think. You must have a lot on your mind.’
    The professor debated with himself whether he should tell her that he had her on his mind, increasingly so with every day that passed. But if he did he would frighten her away. Being friendly was one thing but he sensed that shewould fight shy of anything more. He was only too well aware that he was considered by her to be living on a different plane and that their paths would never meet. She was friendly because she was a girl who would be friends with anyone. It was in her nature to be kind and helpful and to like those she met and worked with. Even the redoubtable Miss Prescott.
    He said now, ‘There is no need to make polite conversation with you, Theodosia; do you not feel the same?’
    ‘Well, yes, I do. I mean, it’s nice to be with someone and not have to worry about whether they were wishing you weren’t there.’
    His rather stern mouth twitched. ‘Very well put, Theodosia. Shall we have coffee at Great Dunmow?’
    They sat a long while over coffee. The professor showed no signs of hurry. His questions were casual but her answers told him a great deal. She wouldn’t admit to loneliness or worry about her future; her answers were cheerful andhopeful. She had no ambitions to be a career girl, only to have a steady job and security.
    ‘You wouldn’t wish to marry?’
    ‘Oh, but I would—but not to anyone, you understand,’ she assured him earnestly. ‘But it would be nice to have a husband and a home; and children.’
    ‘So many young women want a career—to be a lawyer, or a doctor, or a high-powered executive.’
    She shook her head. ‘Not me; I’m not clever to start with.’
    ‘You don’t need to be clever to marry?’ He smiled a little.
    ‘Not that sort of clever. But being married isn’t just a job, is it? It’s a way of life.’
    ‘And I imagine a very pleasant one if one is happily married.’
    He glanced at his watch. ‘Perhaps we had better get on …’
    At the great-aunts’ house Mrs Trickey, in the same hat, admitted them and ushered them intothe drawing room. Aunt Jessica got up to greet them but Aunt Mary stayed in her chair, declaring in a rather vinegary voice that the cold weather had got into her poor old bones, causing her to be something of an invalid. Theodosia kissed her aunts, sympathised with Aunt Mary and hoped that she wasn’t expecting to get free medical treatment from their visitor. She had no chance to say more for the moment since Aunt Jessica was asking Theodosia if she had brought the groceries with her.
    The professor greeted the two ladies with just the right amount of polite pleasure, and now he offered to fetch the box of food into the house.
    ‘The kitchen?’ he wanted to know.
    ‘No, no. We shall unpack it here; Mrs Trickey can put it all away once that is done. You have the receipted bill, Theodosia?’
    ‘Well, actually, Professor Bendinck has it. He paid for everything. I hadn’t enough money.’ She could see that that wasn’t enough to satisfy the aunts. ‘We met going out of the hospital. Iwas trying to get to the bank to get some money. To save time, because it was my dinner hour, he kindly drove me to Fortnum & Mason and gave them your order and paid for it.’
    Aunt Mary looked shocked. ‘Really, Theodosia, a young girl should not take any money from a gentleman.’
    But Aunt Jessica only smiled. ‘Well, dear, we are grateful to Professor Bendinck for his help. I’ll write a cheque …’
    ‘Perhaps you would let Theodosia have it? She can let me have it later. I shall be calling for her tomorrow evening.’
    Aunt Mary was still frowning. ‘I suppose you had spent all your money on clothes—young women