IV + 

Impossible! It couldnтАЩt be. Nell Vereker? Pale scraggy Nell, with her pink nose and her inappropriate starched dresses. Surely it couldnтАЩt be. Was Time capable of that kind of practical joke? If so, one couldnтАЩt be sure of anything. That long-ago Nell, and this NellтБатАФthey were two different people. + 

The whole world felt dreamlike. Joe was saying: + 

тАЬIf thatтАЩs Nell, I really must speak to her. LetтАЩs go across.тАЭ + 

And then the greetings, exclamations, surprise. + 

тАЬWhy, of course, Joe Waite. And Vernon! ItтАЩs years ago, isnтАЩt it?тАЭ + 

Very soft her voice was. Her eyes smiled into hisтБатАФa trifle shyly. LovelyтБатАФlovelyтБатАФlovelier even than he had thought. Tongue-tied fool, why couldnтАЩt he say anything? Something brilliant, witty, arresting. How blue her eyes were with their long soft golden-brown lashes. She was like the blossom above her headтБатАФuntouched, springlike. + 

A great wave of despondency swept over him. She would never marry him. Was it likely? A great clumsy tongue-tied creature such as he was. She was talking to him. Heavens! he must try and listen to what she saidтБатАФanswer intelligently. + 

тАЬWe left very soon after you did. Father gave up his job.тАЭ + 

An echo came into his head of past gossip. + 

Vereker got the sack. Hopelessly incompetentтБатАФit was bound to come. + 

Her voice went onтБатАФsuch a lovely voice. You wanted to listen to it instead of to the words. + 

тАЬWe live in London now. Father died five years ago.тАЭ + 

He said, feeling idiotic, тАЬOh! I say, IтАЩm sorry, awfully sorry!тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩll give you our address. You must come and see us.тАЭ + 

He blundered out hopes of meeting her that eveningтБатАФwhat dance was she going to? She told him. No good there. The night afterтБатАФthank goodness! theyтАЩd be at the same. He said hurriedly: + 

тАЬLook here. YouтАЩve got to save me a dance or twoтБатАФyou mustтБатАФweтАЩve not seen each other for years.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! but can I?тАЭ Her voice was doubtful. + 

тАЬIтАЩll fix it somehow. Leave it to me.тАЭ + 

It was over all too soon. Goodbyes were said. They were going upstream again. + 

Joe said in an incredibly matter-of-fact tone: тАЬWell, isnтАЩt that strange? Who would ever have thought that Nell Vereker would have turned out so good-looking? I wonder if sheтАЩs as much of an ass as ever.тАЭ + 

Sacrilege! He felt oceans removed from Joe. Joe couldnтАЩt see anything at all. + 

Would Nell ever marry him? Would she? Probably sheтАЩd never look at him. All sorts of fellows must be in love with her. + 

He felt terribly despondent. Black misery swept over him. + 