Chapter 20Reading the letter through brought back memories of the old days, when he had been at Oxford, so vividly that Michael began to lament their passing and fell into a brown study. He remembered his old dream of becoming a university don, and once again the thought that this dream had been nipped in the bud caused him to suffer.
But these feelings passed, and Michael wrote back to Maurice a couple of days later, thanking him for his kind invitation, which, he said, he would very much like to take him up on. Maurice could expect to see him at the end of term, and he would write again to say exactly when he would be coming.
The following day Louise Cassell came into the shop, bringing the aroma of perfume with her. 'Oh hello,' Louise said, 'fancy seeing you here,' and she eyed Michae
