er told _me_ that item in her history,' said Borrodaile.

'She never told me--never once spoke of it! They put her in prison!' It
was as if she couldn't grasp it.

'Of course one person's going isn't of much consequence,' Ernestine was
winding up with equal spirit and _sang-froid_. 'But the fact that dozens
and scores--all sorts and conditions--are ready to go--_that_ matters!
And that's the place our reprehensible tactics have brought the movement
to. The meeting is closed.'

* * * * *

They dropped Sophia at her own door, but Lord Borrodaile said he would
take Vida home. They drove along in silence.

When they stopped before the tall house in Queen Anne's Gate, Vida held
out her hand.

'It's late. I won't ask you in.'

'You are over-tired. Go to bed.'

'I wish I could. I'm dining out.'

He looked at her out of kind eyes. 'It begins to be dreadfully stuffy in
town. I'm glad, after all, we're going on that absurd yachting trip.'

'I'm not going,' she said.

'Oh, nonsense! Sophia and I would break our hearts.'

'I'm sure about Sophia.'

'It will do you good to come and have a look at the Land of the Midnight
Sun,' he said.

'I'm going to have a look at the Land of Midnight where there's no sun.
And everybody but you and Sophia and my sister will think I'm in
Norway.'

When she explained, he broke out:

'It's the very wildest nonsense that ever---- It would kill you.' The
intensity of his opposition made him incoherent. 'You, of all women in
the world! A creature who can't even stand people who say "serviette"
instead of "table-napkin"!'

'Fancy the little Blunt having been in prison!'

'Oh, let the little Blunt go to----' He checked himself. 'Be reasonable,
child.' He turned and looked at her with an earnestness she had never
seen in his eyes before. 'Why in heaven should _you_----'

'Why? You heard what that woman said.'

'I heard _nothing_ to account for----'

'That's partly,' she interrupted, 'why I must make this experiment. When
a man like you--as good a man as you'--she repeated with slow
wonder--'when you and all the other good men that the world is full
of--when you all know everything that that woman knows--and more! and
yet see nothing in it to account for what she feels, and what I--I too,
am beginning to feel----!' she broke off. 'Good-bye! If I go far on this
new road, it's you I shall have to thank.'

'I?'

He shrugged drearily at the absurd char