MISS MATFIELD WONDERS 239

as they did a definite answer, a disease or two, only
irritated her. It was understood at the Burpenfield that
you were nearly always pretty foul, with nothing exactly
wrong with you perhaps, but nevertheless in a fairly
permanent state of being worn out, nerve-racked, totter-
ing on the brink of something ghastly. Miss Matfield
had forgotten that this simple visitor from the country
knew nothing of this convention.

"Oh, I'm all right really, I suppose/' she replied, dis-
missing the subject. "Shall we go now? Where do you
propose to take me, Norman? Have you any plans?"
She moved to the door.

"Well, I didn't know exactly what to do. I suppose
I ought to have asked you first, but there wasn't time.
There seems to be a rather good show on at the Colla-
dium this week, so I got two seats for that, second house.
Do you like music-halls?"

"Not bad. It all depends."

"A fellow I was talking to at the hotel said it.was a
very good show, so I thought that would be all right.
But if you don't want to go, I suppose I can get rid of
the tickets, can't I?" '

"No, that will be all right. I'd like to go," she told
him. They were walking down the hill now, towards
Finchley Road.

"Good. And about dinner/* he continued, struggling
laboriously with his duties as host. "I thought we
might1 go to a place in Soho. Old Warwick—he's our
principal at the Chestervern Agricultural, and he's been
here a good deal—told me there was a good little place,
one of those French or Italian places, you know, a bit
Bohemian, but very good cooking—I've got the name
and address in my book and I'll find it in a minute.