never you feel your
taste vitiated (or whatever they call it nowadays) in your room next
door, you can always look out of the window, you know." And then,
speaking to Mrs. Delaport Green:

"We have no light of any sort or kind, and no bathrooms, but there are
plenty of candles, and I can't see why, with large hip baths and plenty
of water, people can't keep clean. Yes, dinner is at 8.15 sharp; I hope
you have everything you want; there is no bell into your maid's room,
but the housemaid can always fetch your maid."

Then she ushered Molly into the next room and, after briefly pointing
out its principal defects, she left her to rest her body and tire her
mind on a hard but gorgeously-upholstered couch until it should be time
to dress for dinner.

CHAPTER IX

A LITTLE MORE THAN KIND

Edmund Grosse felt more tolerant of Billy at Groombridge Castle than
elsewhere. At Groombridge he was looked upon as a kindly weakness of
Lord Groombridge's, who consulted him about the stables and enjoyed his
jokes. This position certainly made him more attractive to Edmund, but
he was not sorry that Billy, who seldom troubled a church, went there on
Easter Sunday morning and left him in undisturbed possession of the
terrace.

The sun was just strong enough to be delightful, and, with an
interesting book and an admirable cigar, it ought to have been a goodly
hour for Grosse. But the fact was that he had wished to walk to church
with Rose, and he had quite hoped that if it were only for his soul's
sake she would betray some wish for him to come. But if she didn't, he
wouldn't. He knew quite well that she would be pleased if he went, but
if she were so silly and self-conscious as to be afraid of appearing to
want his company--well and good; she should do without it.

He had been disappointed and annoyed with Rose during their walk on the
evening before. The simple, matter-of-fact way in which they had been
jogging along in London was changed. At first, indeed, she had been
natural enough, but then she had become silent for some moments, and
afterwards had veered away from personal topics with a tiresome
persistency. He half suspected the truth, that this was due to a
careless word of his own which had betrayed how suddenly he had given up
his intention to spend Easter on the Riviera. If she had jumped to the
conclusion that this change was because Edmund had learnt at the
eleventh hour that Rose would be at Groombridge, she ha