"I can give it to her when she comes," said Mrs Devitt, who hated
parting with money, although, when it was a question of entertaining
the elect of Melkbridge, she spent her substance lavishly.

Thus it came about that a letter was written to Miss Annie Mee,
Brandenburg College, Aynhoe Road, West Kensington Park, London, W.,
saying that Mrs Devitt would expect Miss Keeves, for an interview,
by the train that left Paddington for Melkbridge at ten on Friday
next; also, that she would defray her third-class travelling
expenses.




CHAPTER TWO

MAVIS KEEVES


The following Friday morning, Mavis Keeves sprang from bed on
waking. It was late when she had gone to sleep the previous night,
for she had been kept up by the festivities pertaining to breaking-
up day at Brandenburg College, and the inevitable "talk over" the
incidents of the event with Miss Helen and Miss Annie Mee, which
conversation had been prolonged till nearly twelve o'clock; but the
excitement of travelling to the place of her birth, and the
certainty of getting an engagement in some capacity or another
(Mavis had no doubt on this point) were more than enough to curtail
her slumbers. She had fallen asleep laughing to herself at the many