ng tea, Molly, leaning back, said quietly:

"I see from what you said before we went over the house that you have
not heard that Sir Edmund Grosse is ruined?"

Mrs. Delaport Green gave a little shriek of excitement.

"He trusted all his affairs to a scoundrel, and this is the result."
Molly's tone was still negative.

"Well, that does seem a shame!"

"I don't know; if a man will neglect his affairs he must take the
consequence."

"Oh! but I do think it is hard; he used his money so well."

"Did he?" Molly raised her eyebrows.

"Well, he was a perfect host, and was so awfully good-natured, don't you
know?"

In the real interest in the news, Adela had, for the moment, forgotten
that Molly might be especially interested in anything concerning Edmund
Grosse. She was reminded by the low, thundery voice in which Molly began
to speak quite suddenly, as if her patience had been tried too far.

"You are just like all the others! It's enough to make one a radical to
listen to it. After all, what good has Sir Edmund Grosse done with his
money? He gave dinners that ruined people's livers--I suppose that was
good for the doctors! He gave diamonds to actresses, and I suppose that
was for the good of art. He has never done a stroke of work; he has
wallowed in luxury, and now his friends almost cry out against
Providence because he will have to earn his bread. Probably several
hundreds a year will be left, and many men would be thankful for that.
Then other people say it is such a pity that now he cannot marry Lady
Rose Bright. They have the effrontery to say that to me, as if L800 a
year were not enough for them to marry on if they cared for each other!"

All this tirade seemed to Adela the very natural outpouring of jealousy,
and, as she fully intended to be an intimate friend of Molly's she
sympathised and agreed, and agreed and sympathised till she fairly,
roused Molly's sense of the ludicrous.

"I don't mean," Molly said, half angry and half amused, "that I shall
spend my money so very much better;--I quite mean to have my fling. Only
I do so hate all this cant."

At last Adela departed, crying out that she had promised to be in Hoxton
an hour ago, and Molly was left alone. It was too late to go to the
shops, she reflected, and she sank back into a deep chair with a frown
on her white forehead.

What did it matter to her if they were engaged or not? It made no sort
of difference. She was not going to allow her pea