Captain Roughsedge--that was the
strange part of it. Hundreds of women can make politics serve the
primitive woman's game; the "come hither in the ee" can use that weapon
as well as any other. But here was an intellectual, a patriotic
passion, veritable, genuine, not feigned.

Well!--the spectator admitted it--unwillingly--so long as the debater,
the orator, were still desirable, still lovely. She stole a glance at
Captain Roughsedge. Was he, too, so unconscious of sex, of opportunity?
Ah! _that_ she doubted! The young man played his part stoutly; flung
back the ball without a break; but there were glances, and movements and
expressions, which to this shrewd feminine eye appeared to betray what
no scrutiny could detect in Diana--a pleasure within a pleasure, and
thoughts behind thoughts. At any rate, he prolonged the walk as long as
it could be prolonged; he accompanied them to the very door of their
carriage, and would have delayed them there but that Diana looked at her
watch in dismay.

"You'll hear plenty of that sort of stuff to-night!" he said, as he
helped them to their wraps. "'Perish India!' and all the rest of it. All
they'll mind at Tallyn will be that the Afridis haven't killed a few
more Britishers."

Diana gave him a rather grave smile and bow as the carriage drove on.
Mrs. Colwood wondered whether the Captain's last remark had somehow
offended her companion. But Miss Mallory made no reference to it.
Instead, she began to give her companion some preliminary information as
to the party they were likely to find at Tallyn.

As Mrs. Colwood already knew, Mr. Oliver Marsham, member for the Western
division of Brookshire, was young and unmarried. He lived with his
mother, Lady Lucy Marsham, the owner of Tallyn Hall; and his widowed
sister, Mrs. Fotheringham, was also a constant inmate of the house.
Mrs. Fotheringham was if possible more extreme in opinions than her
brother, frequented platforms, had quarrelled with all her Conservative
relations, including a family of stepsons, and supported Women's
Suffrage. It was evident that Diana was steeling herself to some
endurance in this quarter. As to the other guests whom they might
expect, Diana knew little. She had heard that Mr. Ferrier was to be
there--ex-Home Secretary, and now leader of the Opposition--and old Lady
Niton. Diana retailed what gossip she knew of this rather famous
personage, whom three-fourths of the world found insolent and the rest
witty.