of the cathedral at Rouen, or discuss
Pointed Gothic and Norman arches over tea and bread and butter, without
_some_ intentions. It wouldn't be human."

"It's quite true he always seems to take a good deal for granted,"
remarked Madeline.

"But not enough."

"Exactly!"

"Rupert would make a very good husband--if you could stand him," said
Bertha meditatively; "he's one of those thoroughly well-informed people
who never know what is going on."

"If I could _stand_ him! Why, Bertha! I'd work my fingers to the bone,
and lay down my life for him!"

"He doesn't want your life, and, probably, not bony fingers either, but
he'll want incense swung, _all_ the time, remember; and always in front
of him only. He won't be half as good-natured and indulgent as Percy."

"Of course, Percy's very sweet, and kind and clever, and devoted to
you," said Madeline, "but I always feel that it would have been more
your ideal to have married your first love, Nigel; and far more
romantic, too. He's so good-looking and amusing, and how delightfully he
sings Debussy!"

"Nigel! Oh, nonsense. There's no one more really prosaic. Debussy,
indeed! I met him with his wife the other night at the opera and he
introduced us. My dear, she's got flat red hair, an aigrette, a
turned-up nose, a receding chin and long ear-rings; and she's quite
young and very dowdy: the sort of dowdiness that's rather smart. She
loathed me--that is to say, we took a mutual dislike, and a
determination never to meet again, so strong that it amounted to a kind
of friendship; we tacitly agreed to keep out of each other's way. I
suppose there's such a thing as a sort of comradeship in aversion,"
Bertha added thoughtfully.

"Oh, Bertha, fancy anybody disliking you!"

"It's only because Nigel had told her, _in camera_, that he was in love
with me once, and that we were almost engaged."

"Did he say who broke it off?"

"Yes, I should think he told the truth--that he did--but he didn't
mention the real reasons, that he was horribly hard up and saw a chance
of marrying an heiress. I daresay, too, that he said no other woman
would ever be quite the same to him again, for fear Mrs. Nigel should be
too pleased. Nigel is nice and amusing and he's sometimes very useful.
He thinks he treated me badly, and really has got to appreciate me
since, and as he knows I'm utterly indifferent to him now, he's devoted,
I mean as a friend--he'll do anything on earth for me. He has absolu