The following Tuesday Arthur went for his first evening class in A-level English. Mr Morgan's secretary had said that he should buy a copy of Shakespeare's Julius Cesar, Chaucer's Prologue to the Canterbury tales and Dickens' but he had not read the other two. his lecturer, Mr Greenslade, told him that the classes in English were once a week on Tuesdays and the Economics classes were on Thursdays.
At eight there was a quarter of an hour's break and they all went for a drink in the college canteen. Arthur was very surprised to find Mary and Shila sitting in the canteen. Neither of the two girls had told him that they were attending evening classes. he asked the girls if they would like another cup of coffee. Mary said that she didn't want anything but Sheila said she would have another cup of coffee and a cream doughnut. Arthur went and got them and came back to their table.
Sheila told him that she was on a keep-fit course and Mary said she was studying cookery. Arthur wanted to know whether her course was interesting. Mary said that she had to learn to cook now because she was getting married soon. Sheila said she was trying to lose weight. Arthur wondered whether she was serious when he saw her eating the cream doughnut but he didn't say anything.
Neither of the girls was looking very happy and Arthur wondered why. His last meeting with Sheila had been a little bit embarrassing so he was not surprised about that. But Mary had just got engaged and yet she was looking miserable. So he asked them if they wantd to meet him at the college entrance hall and have a drink with him after the class.
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- What do you want to drink then?
- I'll have a tomato juice, please.
- Yes, I'll have one too.
- Any Wocester sauce?
- Yes, please.
- What did he say?
- He wants to know if you want any Wocester sauce in your tomato juice.
- No, thanks.
- There are a lot of people waiting to served. I'll try to be as quick as possible.
- Well, how's Bruce then?
- Oh, we've just had a bit of a row actually.
- Oh, really? Nothing serious, I hope.
- Well, I don't know whether I've told you this before but Mum and Dad don't like him very much. Dad said that he wasn't a very nice type of man.
- Oh dear, that isn't going to halp much is it?
- No, and he told me he was working late the other night when we should have gone to the cinema.
- Wasn't he working late then?
- Well, I used to think he always told me the truth but now I'm not so sure. I really can't be sure whether he was working late or not but somebody told me that saw his car parked outside the Station Hotel. And that's another thing. We both said we were going to save as much money as possible to buy a house … and what's he doing? He's spending it like water.
- I eexpect it'll be all right later on. I thought you looked a bit miserable this evening and I wondered whether there was anything the matter between you two.
- Oh, and there's something else; he gets angry for no reason at all. The other day, for example, I told him that my engagement ring was a little too large and that I'd taken it to the jeweller's to be altered and he was absolutely furious. I don't know why.
- Yes, I noticed you hadn't got it on. I was going to ask you if you'd lost it or anything.
- Anyway, he was very sweet afterwards. He said he was sorry and bought me some lovely roses.
- Here you are. Sorry I was so long. Where's Bruce tonight, Mary?
