“They’re after thinking we’ve had enough of it,” said Mrs. Bowles. “It sounds like that.” “Sure I’d go on like this for ever,” said Judy. “’Tis the Man and the House and all of it that oppresses me. Vans for Women....” “Let’s not go to Winthorpe-Sutbury,” said Madeleine. (The first word of sense Bealby had heard.) “Ah!” said Mrs. Bowles archly, “who knows but what there’ll be a Man for you? Some sort of Man anyhow.” (Bealby thought that a most improper remark.) “I want no man.” “Ah!” “Why do you say _Ah_ like that?” “Because I mean _Ah_ like that.” “Meaning?” “Just that.” Miss Philips eyed Mrs. Bowles and Mrs. Bowles eyed Miss Philips. “Judy,” she said, “you’ve got something up your sleeve.” “Where it’s perfectly comfortable,” said Mrs. Bowles. And then quite maddeningly, she remarked, “Will you be after washing up presently, Dick?” and looked at him with a roguish quiet over her cigarette. It was necessary to disabuse her mind at once of the idea that he had been listening. He took up the last few plates and went off to the washing place by the stream. All the rest of that conversation _had_ to be lost. Except that as he came back for the Hudson’s soap he heard Miss Philips say, “Keep your old Men. I’ll just console myself with Dick, my dears. Making such a Mystery!” To which Mrs. Bowles replied darkly, “She _little_ knows....” A kind of consolation was to be got from that.... But what was it she little knew?... § 3 The men-folk when they came were nothing so terrific to the sight as Bealby had expected. And thank Heaven there were only two of them and each assigned. Something he perceived was said about someone else, he couldn’t quite catch what, but if there was to have been someone else, at any rate there now wasn’t. Professor Bowles was animated and Mr. Geedge was gracefully cold, they kissed their wives but not offensively, and there was a chattering pause while Bealby walked on beside the caravan. They were on the bare road that runs along the high ridge above Winthorpe-Sutbury, and the men had walked to meet them from some hotel or other—Bealby wasn’t clear about that—by the golf links. Judy was the life and soul of the encounter, and all for asking the men what they meant by intruding upon three independent women who, sure-alive, could very well do without them. Professor Bowles took her pretty calmly, and seemed on the whole to admire her.