My mother never came to meet me at Bursiey station when I arrived in the Five Towns from London. She always had other things to do; she was "preparing" for me. So I had little ourney from !nype to Bursiey" and then the wal# up Trafalgar $oad" all %y myself. &nd there was enough time to consider how I should %rea# to my mother the tremendous news I had for her. I had %een considering that 'uestion since I got into the train at (uston" where I had said good)%ye to &gnes; %ut in the atmosphere of the Five Towns it seemed more difficult; though" of course" it wasn*t difficult" really. +ou see" I wrote to my mother regularly every" wee#" telling her" most of my doings. She #new all my friends %y name; I am sure she formed in her mind notions of what sort of people they were. Thus I had often mentioned &gnes and her family in my letters. But you can*t write even to your mother and say, "I thin# I am %eginning to fall in love with &gnes"" "I thin# &gnes li#es me"" "I love her"" "I feel certain she loves me too"" "I shall propose to her some day." +ou can*t do that. &t least I couldn*t. Therefore it had happened that on the -.th of /ecem%er I had proposed to &gnes and she agreed to marry me" and my mother had no suspicion that my happiness was so near. &nd on the --nd of /ecem%er I came to spend 0hristmas with my mother. I was the only son of a widow; I was all that my mother had. &nd I had gone and engaged myself to a girl she had never seen" and I had not told her anything a%out it. She would certainly %e very much surprised" and she might %e a little hurt 1 ust at first. &nyhow" the situation was very delicate. I wal#ed up the white front steps of my mother*s little house" ust opposite where the electric cars stop" %ut %efore I could put my hand on the %ell" my little mother" in her %lac# sil# and her gold %rooch opened to me" having dou%tless watched me down the road from the window" as usual" and she said" as usual" #issing me, "2ell" 3hilip4 5ow are you6" &nd I said, "7h4 I*m all right" mother. 5ow are you6" I noticed at once that she was more e8cited than my arrival usually made her. There were tears in her smiling eyes" and she was as nervous" as a young girl. &nd indeed she loo#ed remar#a%ly young for a woman of forty)five" with twenty)five years of widowhood and a short %ut stormy married life %ehind her. The thought flashed across my mind, "By some means or other she has some information a%out my engagement. But how6" But I said nothing. I" too" was rather nervous. "I*ll tell her at supper"" I decided and went upstairs. &t that moment there was a ring at the door. She ran to the door" instead of letting the servant go. It was a porter with my %ag. 9ust as I was coming downstairs again there was another ring at the door. &nd my mother appeared out of the #itchen %ut I was %efore her and with a laugh I insisted on opening the front door myself this time. & young woman stood on the step. "3lease Mrs. /awson wants to #now if Mrs. /urance can #indly lend her half)a)do:en #nives and for#s6" "(h" with pleasure"" said my mother" %ehind me. "9ust wait a minute" Lucy. 0ome inside." I followed my mother into the drawing)room" where she too# some silver out of the ca%inet" wrapped it in tissue paper" and then went out and gave it" to the servant" saying, "There4** &nd the compliments of the season to your mistress" Lucy." &fter that my mother disappeared into the #itchen. &nd I wandered a%out" feeling happily e8cited" e8amining the drawing)room" in which nothing was changed e8cept the ; picture postcards on the mantelpiece. Then I wandered into the dining)room" a small room at the %ac# of the house" and here a great surprise awaited me. Supper was set for three4 "2ell"" I said. "5ere*s a nice state of affairs4 Supper for three" and she hasn*t said a word4" My mother was so clever in social matters" and especially in the planning of delicious surprises" that I %elieved her capa%le even of miracles. In some way or other she must have discovered the state of my desires toward &gnes. She and &gnes had %een plotting together" %y letters" or may %e %y telegraph to surprise me. Though &gnes had told me that she could not possi%ly come to Bursiey for 0hristmas" she was pro%a%ly here" and my mother had concealed her somewhere in the house" or was e8pecting her any minute. That e8plained the nervousness and the rushes of my mother to the door. I went out of the dining)room" determined not to let my mother #now" that I had secretly e8amined the supper)ta%le. &nd as I was crossing the corridor to the drawing)room there was a third ring at the door" and a third time my mother rushed out of the #itchen. I "Suppose it*s &gnes. 2hat a scene4" &nd trem%ling with e8pectation I opened the door. It was Mr. <i8on. -