seeing his friends off. One after another they passed into that
anticipatory mood, which makes an egoist of the prospective traveller:
his thoughts start, as it were, in advance; he has none left for the
people who are remaining behind, and receives their care and attention
as his due.

Dove was packed and strapped, ready to set out an hour after he had
had his last lesson; and while he printed labels for his luggage, and
took a circumstantial leave of his landlady and her family, with whom
he was a prime favourite by reason of his decent and orderly habits,
Maurice fetched for him from the lending library, the pieces of music
set by Schwarz as a holiday task. Dove was on tenterhooks to be off.
Of late, things had gone superlatively well with him: he had performed
with applause in an ABENDUNTERHALTUNG, and been highly commended by
Schwarz; while, as for Ephie, she had been so sweet and winning, so
modestly encouraging of his suit, that he had every reason to hope for
success in this quarter also. Too dutiful a son, however, to take,
unauthorised, such an important step as that of proposing marriage, he
was now travelling home to sound two elderly people, resident in a
side street in Peterborough, on the advisability of an American
daughter-in-law.

The Cayhills had been among the first to leave, and would be absent
till the middle of September. One afternoon, Maurice started them from
the THURINGER BAHNHOF, on their journey to Switzerland. Having seen
Mrs. Cayhill comfortably settled with her bags, books and cushions, in
the corner of a first-class carriage, and given Johanna assistance with
the tickets, he stood till the train went, talking to Ephie; and he
long retained a picture of her, standing with one foot on the step, in
a becoming travelling-dress, a hat with a veil flying from it, and a