“All right!  All right!” Louis relented.

Julian cut across the scene with a gruff and final—­

“I must clear out of this!”

He rose.

“Must you?” said his aunt.

She did not unduly urge him to delay, for the strain of family life was exhausting her.

“I must catch the 9.48,” said Julian, looking at the clock and at his watch.

Herein was yet another example of the morbid reticence which so pained Mrs. Maldon.  He must have long before determined to catch the 9.48; yet he had said nothing about it till the last moment!  He had said nothing even about South Africa until the news was forced from him.  It had been arranged that he should come direct to Bursley station from his commercial journey in Yorkshire and Derbyshire, pass the night at his aunt’s house, which was conveniently near the station, and proceed refreshed to business on the morrow.  A neat arrangement, well suiting the fact of his birthday!  And now he had broken it in silence, without a warning, with the baldest possible explanation!  His aunt, despite her real interest in him, could never extract from him a clear account of his doings and his movements.  And this South African excursion was the last and worst illustration of his wilful cruel harshness to her.

Nevertheless, the extreme and unimaginable remoteness of South Africa seemed to demand a special high formality in bidding him adieu, and she rendered it.  If he would not permit her to superintend his packing (he had never even let her come to his rooms!), she could at least superintend the putting on of his overcoat.  And she did.  And instead of quitting him as usual at the door of the parlour, she insisted on going to the front door and opening it herself.  She was on her mettle.  She was majestic and magnificent.  By refusing to see his ill-breeding she actually did terminate its existence.  She stood at the open front door with the three young ones about her, and by the force of her ideal the front door became the portal of an embassy and Julian’s departure a ceremony of state.  He had to shake hands all round.  She raised her cheek, and he had to kiss.  She said, “God bless you!” and he had to say, “Thank you.”

As he was descending the outer steps, the pipe-case clipped under his arm, Louis threw at him—­

“I say, old man!”

“What?” He turned round with sharp defiance beneath the light of the street-lamp.

“How are you going to get to London to-morrow morning in time for the boat-train at Waterloo, if you’re staying at Knype to-night.”

Louis travelled little, but it was his foible to be learned in boat-trains and “connections.”

“A friend o’ mine’s motoring me to Stafford at five to-morrow morning, if you want to know.  I shall catch the Scotch express.  Anything else?”

“Oh!” muttered Louis, checked.

Julian clanked the gate and vanished up the street, Mrs. Maldon waving.