eal," answered Joan. "But I think she'll get
over it all right, if she's careful."

"I shall hope for the best," answered Flossie. "Poor old soul, she's had
a good time. Don't send me a present; and then I needn't send you
one--when your time comes. It's a silly custom. Besides, I've nowhere
to put it. Shall be in a ship for the next six months. Will let you
know when we're back."

She gave Joan a hug and a kiss, and was gone. Joan joined Madge in the
kitchen, where she was toasting buns.

"I suppose she's satisfied herself that he's brainy," she laughed.

"Oh, brains aren't everything," answered Madge. "Some of the worst
rotters the world has ever been cursed with have been brainy enough--men
and women. We make too much fuss about brains; just as once upon a time
we did about mere brute strength, thinking that was all that was needed
to make a man great. Brain is only muscle translated into civilization.
That's not going to save us."

"You've been thinking," Joan accused her. "What's put all that into your
head?"

Madge laughed. "Mixing with so many brainy people, perhaps," she
suggested; "and wondering what's become of their souls."

"Be good, sweet child. And let who can be clever," Joan quoted. "Would
that be your text?"

Madge finished buttering her buns. "Kant, wasn't it," she answered, "who
marvelled chiefly at two things: the starry firmament above him and the
moral law within him. And they're one and the same, if he'd only thought
it out. It's rather big to be good."

They carried their tea into the sitting-room.

"Do you really think she'll get over it?" asked Madge. "Or is it one of
those things one has to say?"

"I think she could," answered Joan, "if she would pull herself together.
It's her lack of will-power that's the trouble."

Madge did not reply immediately. She was watching the rooks settling
down for the night in the elm trees just beyond the window. There seemed
to be much need of coming and going, of much cawing.

"I met her pretty often during those months that Helen Lavery was running
her round," she said at length. "It always seemed to me to have a touch
of the heroic, that absurd effort she was making to 'qualify' herself, so
that she might be of use to him. I can see her doing something quite
big, if she thought it would help him."

The cawing of the rooks grew fainter. One by one they folded their
wings.

Neither spoke for a while. Later on, they t