IV + 

He went out into the garden and wandered on till he came to the old Abbey. He sat down with his chin in his hands. + 

тАЬMother could!тАЭ he said to himself. тАЬIf she liked, she could! She wants to go and live in a horrid red brick house with pipes on it like Uncle SydneyтАЩs. She doesnтАЩt like Abbots PuissantsтБатАФshe never has. But she neednтАЩt pretend itтАЩs all for me. ThatтАЩs not true. She says things that arenтАЩt true. She always has.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

He sat there smouldering with indignation. + 

тАЬVernonтБатАФVernonтБатАФIтАЩve been looking for you everywhere. I couldnтАЩt think what had become of you. WhatтАЩs the matter?тАЭ + 

It was Joe. He told her. Here was someone who would understand and sympathize. But Joe startled him. + 

тАЬWell, why not? Why shouldnтАЩt Aunt Myra go and live in Birmingham if she wants to? I think youтАЩre beastly. Why should she go on living here just so that you should be here in the holidays? ItтАЩs her money. Why shouldnтАЩt she spend it on doing as she likes?тАЭ + 

тАЬBut Joe, Abbots PuissantsтБатАФтАЭ + 

тАЬWell, whatтАЩs Abbots Puissants to Aunt Myra? In her heart of hearts she feels about it just like you feel about Uncle SydneyтАЩs house in Birmingham. Why should she pinch and scrape to live here if she doesnтАЩt want to? If your father had made her happier here, perhaps she would want toтБатАФbut he didnтАЩt. Mother said so once. I donтАЩt like Aunt Myra terriblyтБатАФI know sheтАЩs good and all that, but I donтАЩt love herтБатАФbut I can be fair. ItтАЩs her money. You canтАЩt get away from that!тАЭ + 

Vernon looked at her. They were antagonists. Each had their point of view and neither could see the otherтАЩs. They were both ablaze with indignation. + 

тАЬI think women have a rotten time,тАЭ said Joe. тАЬAnd IтАЩm on Aunt MyraтАЩs side.тАЭ + 

тАЬAll right,тАЭ said Vernon, тАЬbe on her side! I donтАЩt care.тАЭ + 

Joe went away. He stayed there, sitting on the ruined wall of the old Abbey. + 

For the first time he questioned lifeтБатАКтБатАж Things werenтАЩt sure. How could you tell what was going to happen? + 

When he was twenty-one. + 

Yes, but you couldnтАЩt be sure! You couldnтАЩt be safe! + 

Look at the time when he was a baby. Nurse, God, Mr.┬аGreen! How absolutely fixed they had seemed. And now they had all gone. + 

At least, God was still there, he supposed. But it wasnтАЩt the same GodтБатАФnot the same God at all. + 

What would have happened to everything by the time he was twenty-one? What, strangest thought of all, would have happened to himself? + 

He felt terribly alone. Father, Aunt NinaтБатАФboth dead. Only Uncle Sydney and MummyтБатАФand they werenтАЩtтБатАФdidnтАЩtтБатАФbelong. He paused, confused. There was Joe! Joe understood. But Joe was queer about some things. + 

He clenched his hands. No, everything would be all right. + 

When he was twenty-oneтБатАКтБатАж + 