She put the telephone apparatus on the top of the piano on which she tried things over. Then sitting down she played over the first few bars of the concerto.... Keeping the receiver to her ear she heard: “That’s it!--That’s the one!--Do you know it?--Curious--well, well, get it for me, will you.... Good!--I’ve tried all over town for it....” “What address?” she enquired mechanically. The voice replied: “Professor Verreker ... Seahill ... Barhanger, Essex.” As she walked back to the counter Mr. Hobbs said: “Did you know what the gentleman wanted?” “Yes,” she replied fiercely, triumphantly, contemptuously. He stared at her. He did not know that a change had passed swiftly over her. He did not know that the sound of a man’s voice spoken over fifty miles had swept her out of the calm seas into the wind and rain and storm. He did not know that once again she was in deep and troubled waters, fighting for life and a sure footing. He thought his invitation had offended her. He made haste to apologize. “I hope,” he began, “you didn’t mind me asking you to Box----” “I’m afraid,” she replied impatiently, “I can’t come ... I’ve ... I’ve another engagement....” And he went away into the gramophone department.... § 3 The knowledge that Verreker was in England, within approachable distance of her, gave her a strange, complicated mixture of pleasure and annoyance. Deep down in her heart she knew that to see him again would be as a breath of life after ages of dim existence. Yet she was annoyed, because she had grown to be satisfied with the dull, drab routine of her days: she had built up a new, and on the whole satisfactory scheme of existence on the supposition that she should never see him again. She did not want to see him again. She did not want to have anything to do with him. And yet she knew that some day either circumstances or her own initiative would bring her face to face with him once more.... She knew that his place in her life had not achieved finality, that there was more to say and to hear, and great decisions to be made.