It was about five years after this that I decided to live in Paris for a while.I was growing stale in London.I was tired of doing much the same thing every day.My friends pursued their course with uneventfulness;they had no longer any surprises for me,and when I met them I knew pretty well what they would say;even their loveaffairs had a tedious banality.We were like tramcars running on their lines from terminus to terminus,and it was possible to calculate within small limits the number of passengers they would carry.Life was ordered too pleasantly.I was seized with panic.I gave up my small apartment,sold my few belongings,and resolved to start afresh.

　　I called on Mrs Strickland before I left.I had not seen her for some time,and I noticed changes in her;it was not only that she was older,thinner,and more lined;I think her character had altered.She had made a success of her business,and now had an office in Chancery Lane;she did little typing herself,but spent her time correcting the work of the four girls she employe......