Now he went back to his dressing room, and pulled out to the veranda a couple of worn portmanteaux.

Into these he put a variety of personal belongings.

Among them, pictures from the walls, and old photographs in frames that had been on the dressing table.

It was significant that none of these were portraits of his wife.

The portmanteaux he dragged along the veranda to the side of the steps leading down to the front garden.