lesson in the decent treatment of
those who can't defend themselves.

"You must have sat at the Professor's feet," cried Miss Du Prel, raising
her eyebrows.

"I have," said Ernest, with a little gesture of pride.

Lady Engleton shook her head. "I fear he flies too high for ordinary
mortals," she said; "and I doubt if even he can be quite consistent at
that altitude."

"Better perhaps fly fairly high, and come down now and again to rest, if
one must, than grovel consistently and always," observed Ernest.

Lady Engleton gave a little scream. "Mrs. Temperley, come to the rescue.
Your brother is calling us names. He says we grovel consistently and
always."

Ernest laughed, and protested. Lady Engleton pretended to be mortally
offended. Mrs. Temperley was sorry she could give no redress. She had
suffered from Ernest's painful frankness from her youth upwards.

The conversation grew discursive. Lady Engleton enjoyed the pastime of
lightly touching the edges of what she called "advanced" thought. She
sought the society of people like the two Professors and Miss Du Prel in
order to hear what dreadful and delightful things they really would say.
She read all the new books, and went to the courageous plays that Mrs.
Walker wouldn't mention.

"Your last book, _Caterina_, is a mine of suggestion, Miss Du Prel," she
said. "It raises one most interesting point that has puzzled me
greatly. I don't know if you have all read the book? The heroine finds
herself differing in her view of life from everyone round her. She is
married, but she has made no secret of her scorn for the old ideals, and
has announced that she has no intention of being bound by them."

Mrs. Temperley glanced uneasily at Miss Du Prel.

"Accordingly she does even as she had said," continued Lady Engleton.
"She will not brook that interference with her liberty which marriage
among us old-fashioned people generally implies. She refuses to submit
to the attempt that is of course made (in spite of a pre-nuptial
understanding) to bring her under the yoke, and so off she goes and
lives independently, leaving husband and relatives lamenting."

The vicar's wife said she thought she must be going home. Her husband
would be expecting her.

"Oh, won't you wait a little, Mrs. Walker? Your daughters would perhaps
like a game of tennis with my brothers presently."

Mrs. Walker yielded uneasily.

"But before _Caterina_ takes the law into her own hands, in this way