Yes, turns a lovely light brown when milk is added. My favourite...

It is very good, maybe the best tea I have had.

The girls are a bit slow replying these days.

Four. Katie, R, and the two girls I mentioned.

One was also on the mailing list, and then I asked one for the other's e-mail. Apparently they've been talking to each other about me. That could be good or bad...

Thankfully none of them are ignoring me, they just seem lazy to reply. Of those two girls, one has not responded for 4 days. R hasn't for 3 days. Katie, 2 days. The other of the two girls, 1 day. That forms a nice pattern...

Katie claimed she has just not been checking her e-mails, despite telling me in person she's been checking them 5 times a day for university offers (they tell you via e-mail). I didn't point out that contradiction though.

I get the impression that she doesn't want to look bad in front of me. In the beginning when she learned I did all my mathsy stuff early, she tried to make herself look good by slipping in her module scores. And then when I posed that 'challenge integral' to her, she never talked about it, possibly because she did not want to look weak in front of me. And, she never asks me for help.

She's sort of opening up I suppose, here are some excerpts from her e-mails:

"I always walk to school, because it gives me a lovely half hour on my own to sort of clear my head and get ready for the day (I like telling myself fairy tales as I walk along, with the unfortunate side effect of talking to myself and getting strange looks from people I pass), if that makes sense?, but if I'm feeling lazy, especially in the winter when it's dark, I get the bus home."

"I go rock climbing (with my mum, like all the cool kids), it's just an indoor wall at a leisure centre. I'm not terribly good- I tend to help with the little kids so that I can get to climb for free, then end up spending two hours sitting on the floor giggling and eating crisps with my friend that goes there."

"London isn't the best place for walking, so it's normally on holiday with my family, rather than a regular activity- one of the things I really like about St Andrews was that you could just walk out of the town into the countryside, which I think would be lovely. I guess it would depend on the company- I'm not a serious walker, I don't have the equipment or anything, and anywone too serious might scare me, I would be worried I was holding them back or something."

Would you classify that as opening up?

What invitation?

I noticed that but I thought little of it. Hmm, I am 50-50 on this one, I see what you mean, but it could also have simply been there to create the next statement.

Actually, I lie -- I didn't think little of it, because now I remember that I asked her if she enjoyed walking with a friend or a partner, and she didn't seem responsive to that.

How do I arrange a walk with someone who lives 2 hours away by train?!

I could do that -- besides, if she wants me, then she'll make the effort.

Unfortunately, this time it is I who won't have the time. My Cambridge interview is in 12 days. That's my priority right now.

They say you can't prepare for it but I'm brushing up on as much stuff as I can. They love to make you sketch difficult curves, and they love their mechanics and combinatorics problems. Unfortunately, my interviewer is a former IMO champion. I do not think much will get past him...

For the most part.