oice."

"I don't think it expressed anything but indifference, as it is
such a long time since I met him. But I never fancied him much. I
suppose we were not the same sort of men; and then, too, perhaps I
am rather prejudiced from the fact that I know that he was
considered rather a hard landlord."

"I never heard that," she said.

"No, I dare say you would not hear it, but I fancy it was so.
However, he sold his estate, at least so I heard."

"Yes, he told me that he did not care for country life. I have seen
him several times since we came up to town. He keeps race horses,
you know. His horse was second in the Derby this spring. That takes
him a good deal away, else one would meet him more often, for he
knows a great many people we do."

"Yes, I know that he races, and is, I believe, rather lucky on the
turf."

"You have no inclination that way, Major Mallett?"

"Not a shadow," he said, earnestly. "It is the very last vice I
should take to. I have seen many cases, in the service, of young
fellows being ruined by betting on the turf. We had one case in my
own regiment, in which a man was saved by the skin of his teeth.
Happily he had strength of mind and manliness enough to cut it
altogether, and is a very promising young officer now, but it was
only the fact of our embarking when we did for India that saved him
from ruin.

"The man who bets more than he can afford to lose is simply a
gambler, whether he does so on racehorses or on cards. I have seen
enough of it to hate gambling with all my heart. It has driven more
men out of the service than drink has, and the one passion is
almost as incurable as the other."

Bertha laughed. "I think that is the first time I have ever heard
you express any very strong opinion, Major Mallett. It is quite
refreshing to listen to a thorough-going denunciation of anything
here in London. In the country, of course, it is different. All
sorts of things are heartily abused there; especially, perhaps, the
weather, free trade, poaching, and people in whose covers foxes are
scarce. But here, in London, no one seems to care much about
anything."

"People in your set have no time to do so."

"That is very unkind. They think about amusement."

"They may think about it, but it is all in a very languid fashion.
Now, in a country town, when there is a ball or a dance in the
neighbourhood, it is quite an excitement; and, at any rate,
everyone enters into it heartily. People eviden