t do if s o it.

    t’s  seemed at first, anyway.

    But after a time difficulties did begin to emerge. t t er, idied and cleaned rooms and left t out to discover to  need is to be left open w in use? You can see w  makes unnecessary work for you and for me.”

    tirely to concur, and er left terviee satisfied. But a er, once again, s sime s no vague promises but ermined to get to t of tter.

    ‘It’s t t, a s dreadful damp.“

    er gave t lecture in simple terms about air circulation and damp and sent ain t time sy.

    A er siced again t doors ime s call tead sed. to t t sudy tion w lay behe unlocking of doors.

    t escaped ice, but s put off. Sranger in t o o demonstrate t s to cause trouble. In time, s to get used to edly sloo fade. And to somete banal. In our garden sained, a c sced to know, “s?”

    ‘Noto do old  took her aback.

    ‘I don’t say it is,“ s t. If you  tell me o ts and tress about it.“

    Joo leave, but s a ed around ood in front of ed ? It irely reasonable one and s in a civil fasever reason o refuse?

    But refuse  come up here” was his only response.

    ‘t on.

    ‘tay a of fear.“

    ‘t’s ridiculous. ever do to be afraid of  and a man’s trousers cut doo fit. e distinctive. You must know who he is.“

    “I o leave.

    er  persistent. “But you must have seen him—”

    “It takes a certain kind of mind, Miss, to see t aren’t to see, I see noto you.”

    it , and time er made no attempt to block ood, s and  into t seemed, al exercise. S to ttom of things.

    er’s gifts of insigelligence e extraordinary. Yet counterbalancing talents  t s knoe ake for instance  of leaving to t periods , evaluating tigue, to mealtimes, tterns of energy and rest. s of told  for an  indoor lolling, stended. On one of tor ed a particular e word.

    Fooliser. there are children.

    S  t door. “It is a nice day. She garden?”

    t off toopiary garden, una they were being followed.

    ‘You or began. ”Emmeline is transformed.“

    ‘No,“ said er.

    ‘Yes, I assure you. My expectations han fulfilled. I am very impressed.“

    er boeem. to admire  as ric lines, else   her wry look and realized his error.

    esting “No”  tor took it for. It raigatement of fact. Of course Emmeline ransformed. Given ter,   it. t is w s by her “No.”

    Yet s surprised by tor’s comment. It  a iced in governesses, but noneted. tor  Angelfield, s, and her.

    Surned toor and found ood, , traigo   circle of pink scalp an incop of his head.

    ‘Jo twins did,“ er said.

    ‘ made t?“

    ‘In Emmeline’s case t is an easy question to ans, t is a ion altoget s of time s appear to . ever t ating for Joended tions.“

    ‘less. All the more shocking coming from a child.“

    Unseen by tor, s kno cruelty. Only  like to t of them.”

    Sloo opiary ser’s ance, but al, a little spy folloection of one yeo anot and rigimes turned to double back on t e dance.

    ‘You are satisfied s of your efforts h Emmeline, I imagine, Miss Barrow?“

    ‘Yes. ittention, I see no reason ly t girl so be at . S be clever, but still, I see no reason isfying life separately from er. Per even marry. All men do not seek intelligence in a ionate.“

    ‘Good, good.“

    ‘it is a different matter entirely.“

    to a standstill, next to a leafy obelisk  into its side part of t toucs brig o. She sighed.

    ‘Adeline puzzles me, Dr. Maudsley. I would value your medical opinion.“

    tor gave a courteous  is it t is troubling you?”

    ‘I  t o explain trangeness I iced in her.“

    ‘take your time. I am in no rush.“

    tor indicated a lorained into an elaborately curlicued arc frequently forms ted bedstead. t and found t geometrical pieces. “A dodecahedron, look.”

    er disregarded  and began ion.

    ‘Adeline is a ile and aggressive cs my presence in ts all my efforts to impose order. ing is erratic; sil sarving, and only t but t morsel. So be bate  takes to er. Any  by utter indifference. Sion, and, I speak frankly to you, Dr. Maudsley, I  in o return to ty.“

    ‘Is selligent?“

    ‘S s be stimulated to take an interest in anytites.“

    ‘And in the classroom?“

    ‘You appreciate of course t   migic, no Latin, no geograpill, in terests of order and routine, to attend for te telling stories.“

    ‘Does se these lessons?“

    ‘If only I kne question! Se rapped in trickery, or sometimes I o get Joo bring o avoid it, flailing o make it ao carry ing ically impossible. More often t Joo simply leave  me nor listen to me in t retreats to some inner world of her own.“

    tor listened closely and nodded. “It is a difficult case. er anxiety and you fear t ts of your efforts may be less successful ter. And yet”— see  of al state is more co tudent mighe same evidence.”

    S yet come to t.”

    ‘Ah.“

    ‘t . trategies of my o I  ate to put into action  not t…“

    er ated, and time tor  for o go on.  was slowly, and sh care.

    ‘It is as t in Adeline, a mist t separates  only from y but from imes t times t clears, and anot returns and she is as before.“

    er looked at tor, cion.  above  is shese periods?”

    ‘t aed some time before being sure enougo come to you.“ I see.

    ‘First of all t cimes, and I kno tending to be in a o me. And her hands—“

    ‘her hands?“

    ‘Usually tense, like ter demonstrated—”but times I notice to softness. ”It is as if  ory ured tention and in doing so undermined  ss ion and defiance. I  many difficult cise. And o t all tation in her.“

    tor did not ansely but considered, and er seemed gratified at ion.

    ‘Is ttern to these signs?“

    ‘Not, but…“

    o go on.

    ‘It’s probably not certain stories…“

    ‘Stories?“

    “Jane Eyre, for instance. I told tened version of t part, over several days, and I certainly noticed it too. torical tales and tales .”

    tor fro consistent? Does reading Jane Eyre al the changes you have described?”

    ‘No. t is ty.“

    ‘ do you mean to do?“

    ‘tant crict regime noitution later in life. ion of strict routine and t stimulates  detrimental to—“

    ‘to t?“

    ‘Precisely. In fact, for t ching would be worse.“

    ‘And t c, ure could you foresee for her?“

    ‘It is a premature question. Suffice it to say t I cannot at present countenance .  s become? “

    t in silence, gazing at try opposite and contemplating ter  out o tself, opiary, stared back at the branches.

    Finally tor spoke. “tion I kno al effects of quite t may be my oest; s. “ o give tion in order to establisate of al and p step.”

    ‘t is just er replied. ”Noions of eacance I nessed, togeter t stay for o give me your first ts? e can decide on te next step then.“

    . Sepped out of !

    er  .

    Sated. Could srack? as it too late? Sion. In for a penny, in for a pound. “It’s not a dodecaold ’s a tetrahedron.”

    tor rose from tepped toopiary sed.

    My  stopped. as o ree, making o trip over me?

    But opped. .

    ttle moment  eacain.   auty did so  a dumpy, potato-faced, provincial governess. asn’t she?

    In silence sared back at ransfixed by tainty glimmering in his face.

    to tilt a fraction on its axis, and they each looked awkwardly away.

    ‘ter began.

    ‘ednesday afternoon, peror. ”ednesday afternoon.“ And turned to its proper axis.

    to turn in tor took his leave.

    Betle spy bit her nails and wondered.