things more.  She’s left off her bead necklace, you know.  And she gets worried because people discuss the condition of ’the departed’ (that’s what we call them in the boarding-house).  Rhoda is sure they are in nothingness.  I told her it was impossible for me to speculate on such things.  How can one, you know?  People have so much imagination.  Mine always sticks at a certain point and won’t move on.  Could you do it if someone asked you to imagine Denis, say, without his body?”

She wrinkled her forehead, trying to.

“Denis’s body matters a lot,” was her conclusion.  “I suppose it’s because it’s such a nice one.”

“Exactly,” said Peter.  “People’s bodies are nice.  And when they’re not I don’t believe their minds are very nice either, so I’d rather not think about them.  Now I must go home.”

It was very hot going home.  London was a baked place, full of used air—­Peter’s bedroom on a large scale.  Peter tried walking back, but found he was rather giddy, so got into a bus that took him the wrong way, a thing he often did.  Riding across London on the top of a bus is, of course, the greatest fun, even if it is the wrong bus.  It makes up for almost any misfortune.

A few days later, after office hours, Peter took Urquhart at his word and went to his rooms.  Urquhart wasn’t there, but would be in some time, he was told, so he sat and waited for him.  It was a pleasant change after the boarding-house rooms.  Urquhart’s things were nice to look at, without being particularly artistic.  There was nothing dingy, or messy, or second-rate, or cheap.  A graceful, careless expensiveness was the dominant note.  An aroma of good tobacco hung about.  Peter liked to smell good tobacco, though he smoked none, good or bad.

Urquhart came in at seven o’clock.  He was going to dine somewhere at eight, so he hadn’t much time.

“Glad to see you, Margery.  Quite time you came.”

Peter thought it nice of him to speak so pleasantly, seeming to ignore the last time Peter had come to see him.  He had been restrained and embarrassed then; now he was friendly, in the old casual, unemphasised way.

“How splendid about you and Lucy,” said Peter.  “A very suitable alliance, I call it.”

“So do I,” said Denis, lighting a cigarette.  “She’s so much the nicest person I know.  I perceived that the day you introduced us.”

“Of course,” said Peter.  “You would.”

“Do you mind,” said Denis, “if I dress?  We can talk meanwhile.  Rotten luck that I’m booked for dinner, or we could have had it together.  You must come another day.”

While he dressed he told Peter that he was going to stand at the next elections.  Peter had known before that Denis was ultimately destined to assist in the government of his country, and now it appeared that the moment had arrived.

“Do you really take a side?” Peter enquired.  “Or is it just a funny game?”