Margaret laughed; she had a pleasant laugh, almost a chuckle. "Indeed I shan't!" she answered. "But I may let him think I'm going to. It saves such a lot of trouble, as I suppose you found out too." No, Cora had not found that out. She felt shocked and admiring--as a little boy feels who sees another one smoking. How was it that Hermione, the faithless, and Margaret, the maternal, dared to treat Valentine more carelessly than she did? Perhaps they did not understand him as well as she did, with her more subtle reactions. Before she could answer, Thorpe was in the room. When she thought of that moment afterwards she appreciated the power of the man, for there was no trace of elation or excitement or even hurry about him. He addressed Margaret: "Mr. Bing is very sorry, madam, he will not be able to get home to dinner tonight." Cora's mind working with the quickness of lightning waited for a second part of the message--something that would detain her and let Margaret depart in peace. But Thorpe having delivered himself of this one sentence turned to the desk and began collecting various objects--a fountain pen, a package of letters. "When will Mr. Bing be back?" Cora asked. "Mr. Bing is obliged to start for China this evening, madam," said Thorpe, and his eye just wavered across hers. "I'm packing for him now as well as I can at such short notice." The reason, his tone suggested, was sufficient excuse for leaving the two ladies to see each other out. He left the room, his eyes still roving about in search of necessary objects. In this bitter moment Cora felt vaguely envious of Margaret, who, unmoved by the intelligence, was beginning to replace her heavy gloves. "To China," she observed placidly. "Now I wonder What the reason for that is." Cora snatched up the glossy photograph and thrust it between Margaret's shapeless black fingers. "That's the reason!" she said passionately. "He left me for just half an hour to meet her steamer--a princess--'great stuff if as per invoice.' Well, evidently she is as 'per invoice,' if he's going to China with her the first time they meet--he and his princess!" Margaret took the photograph and studied it with irritating calm. "I don't suppose there ever lived a human male who would not enjoy going to China with a princess," she said, and she almost smiled at the thought of their departure. Tears were already running down Cora's cheeks. "What does it mean?" she said. "Are men incapable of permanent attachments?" "Oh, no," replied Margaret. "Valentine's attachments are very permanent--only they're not exclusive. He will always want me when he's sick--and you when he wants to test his will power." She stopped, for Thorpe had come into the room again. He had come for the photograph, which he now took gently out of Margaret's unresisting hand. She hardly noticed his action, so intently was her mind working upon the question of Valentine's health.