The days began to
lengthen, there were crocuses in the gardens, there were reports of
primroses and sweet violets in the woods about Horsham; in London
Parliament was sitting, and in Brighton well-known faces were
recognisable amongst the promenaders on the Saturday afternoons. Then
Mr. Roberts, as Edith's accepted suitor, received many invitations to
the house in Brunswick Terrace; and in return was most indefatigable in
arranging riding-parties, driving-parties, walking-parties, with in
each case a good hotel for luncheon as his objective point. Madge
joined in these diversions with great good-will; and made them the
excuse for the shortness of the letters addressed to Kingscourt. Nan
went also; she was glad to get into the country on any pretence; and
she seemed merry enough. When Mr. Roberts drove along the King's Road
with these three comely damsels under his escort, he was a proud man;
and he may have comforted himself with the question, that as beer
sometimes led to a baronetcy, why shouldn't soda-water?

Strangely enough, Nan had entirely ceased making inquiries about
sisterhoods and institutions for the training of nurses. She seemed
quite reconciled to the situation of things as they were. She did not
cease her long absences from the house; but every one knew that on
these occasions she was off on one of her solitary wanderings; and she
came home in the evening apparently more contented than ever. She had
even brought herself to speak of Madge's married life, which at first
she would not do.

'You see,' she said to her sister on one occasion, 'if you and Edith
get married on the same day, I must remain and take care of mamma; she
must not be left quite alone.'

'Oh, as for that,' said Madge, 'Mrs. Arthurs does better than the whole
of us; and I'm not going to have you made a prisoner of. I'm going to
have a room at Kingscourt called "Nan's room," and it shall have no
other name as long as I am there. Then we shall have a proper house in
London by and by; and of course you'll come up for the season, and see
all the gaieties. I think we ought to have one of the red houses just
by Prince's; that would be handy for everything; and you might come up,
Nan, and help me to buy things for it. And you shall have a room there
too, you shall; and you may decorate it and furnish it just as you
like. I know quite well what you would like--the room small; the
woodwork all bluey-white; plenty of Venetian embr