Belbury and St. Anne's-on-the-Hill Summary

Mark's entrance into Belbury is marked by his awareness of the sharp contrast between the appearance of himself and that of Lord Feverstone. When each of the men pass a mirror, Mark notes to himself that Feverstone looks like a "master of his clothes," while Mark himself is plagued by a blob of cotton on his face because of a shaving accident. It is with this scene in his mind that Mark is introduced to Mr. John Wither, the Deputy Director of the N.I.C.E.

Mark's initial impression of Wither is that he is polite, but he seems to be distracted from their conversation. His eyes seem far away and unfocused. During their conversation Mark tries in vain to figure out exactly what his position at the N.I.C.E. will entail. Wither constantly...