him,
Gwen, when he justifies suicide. It's only his nonsense." Irene had come
back quite sick and tired of housekeeping, and was provoked by the
informal _status quo_ of the young lady and gentleman on the sofa into
remarking to the latter:--"Now you're happy."

"Or ought to be," said Gwen.

"Now, go on exactly where you were," said Irene.

"I will," said Adrian. "I was just expressing a hope that Gwen had been
regular in her attendance at church while in London." He did not seem
vitally interested in this, for he changed almost immediately to another
subject. "How about your old lady, Gwen? She's your old lady, I suppose,
whose house tumbled down?"

"Yes, only not quite. We got her out safe. The woman who lived with her,
Mrs. Burr.... However, I wrote all that in my letter, didn't I?"

"Yes--you wrote about Mrs. Burr, and how she was a commonplace person.
We thought you unfeeling about Mrs. Burr."

"I was, quite! I can't tell you how it has been on our consciences,
Clo's and mine, that we have been unable to take an interest in Mrs.
Burr. We tried to make up for it, by one of us going every day to see
her in the hospital. I must say for her that she asked about Mrs.
Prichard as soon as she was able to speak--asked if she was being got
out, and said she supposed it was the repairs. She is not an imaginative
or demonstrative person, you see. When I suggested to her that she
should come to look after Mrs. Prichard in the country, till the house
was rebuilt, she only said she was going to her married niece's at
Clapham. I don't know why, but her married niece at Clapham seemed to me
indisputable, like an Act of Parliament. I said 'Oh yes!' in a convinced
sort of way, as if I knew this niece, and acknowledged Clapham."

"Then you have got the old lady at the Towers?"

"Yes--yesterday. I don't know how it's going to answer."

Adrian said: "Why shouldn't it answer?"

Irene was sharper. "Because of the servants, I suppose," said she.

Gwen said:--"Ye-es, because of the household."

"I thought," said Adrian, "that she was such a charming old lady." This
took plenty of omissions for granted.

"So she is," said Gwen. "At least, _I_ think her most sweet and
fascinating. But really--the British servant!"

"_I_ know," said Irene.

"Especially the women," said Gwen. "I could manage the men, easily
enough."

"You _could_," said Adrian, with expressive emphasis. And all three
laughed. Indeed, it is difficult to des