separate ways and
the consequence is when we meet we're generally quite glad to see each
other. Such an immense mistake to imagine that any two people can tell
one another everything."

"Is it?" murmured Carrissima, who clung to a vastly different ideal.

"What bores we should become!" said Bridget. "And, you know, whatever
you do to a man you must never bore him--poor fellow! But, please,
don't encourage me to talk about myself--not that I really need much
encouragement. I feel so perfectly delighted with everything!--how is
Mark?" she added, abruptly changing her tone.

"He looked very well the last time I saw him," replied Carrissima, at
once on guard.

"When was that?"

"A few days ago!"

"You don't appear to have any interesting announcement to make,"
suggested Bridget, with expressive eyes on Carrissima's face. Now,
Carrissima hesitated. She could easily have answered in such a way
that her hostess, with all her audacity, would have been silenced.

"I haven't spoken to Mark," she faltered, "since your marriage."

"How disappointing!" cried Bridget. "So, after all my efforts you
didn't follow the advice I gave you."

"No," said Carrissima.

"Why not?"

"Oh well, I couldn't," said Carrissima, and Bridget shrugged her
shoulders as if to put the topic aside.

"Did the colonel tell you," she inquired, "that Jimmy is going to stand
for Atlinghurst? Between us we are going to accomplish the most
wonderful things. He always insists that his mind is too independent
for the House of Commons, but I tell him a man must expect to sacrifice
some of his independence when he marries."

"In spite of all your theories!" suggested Carrissima.

"Of course," Bridget continued, "I quite understand that most people
believe Jimmy sacrificed a great deal more than that! Your brother
Lawrence, for instance! Oh dear, I can imagine exactly what he says!
Carrissima, there's one thing which makes me angry!"

"Only one?" said Carrissima.

"The want of discrimination in the human mind. I dare say that even
yours is tainted! It's of no use to pretend you can't understand. In
a moment of self-denying effusiveness I admitted that I deliberately
angled for a husband: first for Mark Driver, then for Colonel
Faversham. Well, although one would have none of me and I didn't want
the other, the fact remains that I am the wife of the richest of the
trio! Everybody who knows Jimmy naturally thinks that was all I
thoug