In t follo every as if ser kne many people, and t in all kinds of different places: in t be a meeting of geograp tic Institute, and Lyra  by and listen; and ter mig a politician or a cleric for lunc restaurant, and taken o eat asparagus or breads tasted like.

    And ternoon t be more ser erproof boots to buy, as ruments t delig. After t t go to tea and meet some ladies, as er if not so beautiful or accomplisian boat mots as almost to be a neogeties suctily for te talk, ist, or t politician, or those lovers.

    And o ter, and again ts of glamorous people to talk to and be admired by, for it seemed t Mrs. Coulter kneant in London.

    In tervals betivities Mrs. Coulter eacs of geograpics. Lyras kno, like a map of ten by mice, for at Jordan tauged o catcruct inue for a sullen il s” to turn up, to t eac great lengt t of  researcever t o be. It oms and elementary particles, and anbaromagnetic cal forces and ots and pieces of experimental t not tem. In fact, s revolved around t the joke.

    o s shings, and when Mrs.

    Coulter elling  electrons, sly, “Yes, tively cicles. Sort of like Dust, except t Dust isnt charged.”

    As soon as s, Mrs. Coulters daemon snapped o look at tle body stood up, bristling, as if it er laid a hand on his back.

    “Dust?” she said.

    “Yea Dust.”

    “ do you kno Dust, Lyra?”

    “O it comes out of space, and it lig of camera to see it by. Except not c doesnt affect children.”

    “ from?”

    By no tension in talaimon  ermine-like onto rembling violently.

    “Just someone in Jordan,” Lyra said vaguely. “I forget he Scholars.”

    “as it in one of your lessons?”

    “Yes, it mig mig in passing. Yes. I t . talking to t Dust and I  passing and it sounded interesting so I couldnt opping to listen. ts  was.”

    “I see,” said Mrs. Coulter.

    “Is it rig old me? Did I get it wrong?”

    “ell, I dont kno back to trons....”

    Later, Pantalaimon said, “You know wood up on her daemon?

    ell, I  see. It ime till  do o leap at you.”

    t range, no doubt; but neit to make of it.

    And finally, tly and subtly given t t feel like lessons at all. o  on lipstick, po. to be sure, Mrs. Coulter didnt teacter arts directly, but scook care to let Lyra see ics, and to allory t for herself.

    * * * time passed, and autumn began to co er. From time to time Lyra t of Jordan College, but it seemed small and quiet compared to ten s of Roger, too, and felt uneasy, but to go to, or a neo ic Institute to visit, and t him again.

    er decided to ail party. Lyra  to celebrate, ter never said  e.

    “e must  afford to leave , t eful old snob. Lord Boreal is in to e Erik Andersson? I s about time to take him up....”

    Erik Andersson est fas “take , but sifully e doer suggested, spelling trociously and t  ter all.

    to bed, Pantalaimon whe pillow:

    “So to keep us o run away?”

    “S dont like s hard luck.

    I like eacion and all t if s going to take us north?”

    “to stop you getting impatient, ts  to stand around at tail party being all s and pretty. S making a pet out of you.”

    Lyra turned  alaimon said rue.

    Se life,  le in the canal.

    t kept e and attentive to Mrs. Coulter  tantalizing  Lord Asriel. Perer  married and adopt Lyra, and go and rescue Roger from the Gobblers.

    On ternoon of tail party, Mrs. Coulter took Lyra to a fasiff dark blond ened and le makeup to o so do it. t to collect ter o buy some patent-leat ime to go back to t and c dressed.

    “Not ter as Lyra came out of tiness.

    Lyra aken to tle o keep ter close at er, loosening to a vase, sa Lyra  moving and glanced pointedly at the door.

    “Oer, I do love this bag!”

    “Not indoors, Lyra. It looks absurd to be carrying a sake it off at once, and come and hese glasses....”

    It  so mucone as t made Lyra resist stubbornly. Pantalaimon fleo tantly became a polecat, arc tle his, Lyra said:

    “But it  be in ts t really suits—”

    S finisence, because Mrs. Coulters daemon sprang off talaimon to t before  in alarm, and talaimon ted t, so loosen tered  and s loalaimons ears in ended to tear it off. Not angrily, eit  o feel.

    Lyra sobbed in terror.

    “Dont! Please! Stop ing us!”

    Mrs. Coulter looked up from her flowers.

    “Do as I tell you, then,” she said.

    “I promise!”

    tepped aalaimon as if he were suddenly bored.

    Pantalaimon fled to Lyra at once, and so o kiss and gentle.

    “Noer.

    Lyra turned ly and slammed into  no sooner  be opened again. Mrs. Coulter anding t or two away.

    “Lyra, if you beation,  bag tant. Control t unpleasant fro. No guests es, and to find you perfectly be, c, attentive, deligicularly and me?”

    “Yes, Mrs. Coulter.”

    “then kiss me.”

    S a little and offered o stand on tiptoe to kiss it.

    Siced   perplexing smell of Mrs. Coulters flesed, but someallic. Sable before folloer back to the drawing room.

    “ do you ter as sly as if not go  you can oo mucerers brought enough ice? Be a dear and go and ask. arm drinks are horrid...”

    Lyra found it e easy to pretend to be liged and calaimons disgust, and of red for tly tinguisly and making pretty ans, and t t to alaimon stretched his goldfinch wings and chirruped loudly.

    S , and became a little more retiring.

    “And te.

    “I dont go to scold her.

    “Really? I t your mot you to her old school. A very good place...”

    Lyra ified until sake.

    “O my mot ant,” santly.

    “I see. And who are your people?”

    Again Lyra o wonder w s before replying.

    “t and countess,” sical accident in th.”

    “?”

    “Count Belacqua. her.”

    t macaation from one foot to anoto froy, so Lyra smiled sly and moved on.

    S a group of men and one young . Sy noo understand ed by tion of Dust, and so listen. to be Scioning took o be a student of some kind.

    “It e—stop me if you kno ion, “a man called Rusakov, and ticles after him.

    Elementary particles t dont interact in any o detect, but traordinary t to be attracted to human beings.”

    “Really?” said the young woman, wide-eyed.

    “And even more extraordinary,”  on, “some hers.

    Adults attract it, but not c least, not muc until adolescence. In fact, ts to tting ially on her shoulder.

    “—ts tion Board  up. As our good ess ell you.”

    “Really? Is sion Board?”

    “My dear, sion Board. Its entirely —”

    t to tell  sigared back at tle too muco drink, or pero impress the young woman, for he said:

    “ttle lady kno it, Ill be bound. Youre safe from tion Board, arent you, my dear?”