Then Stephen pulled himself together. ‘Well, well,’ he said. ‘Come, come. Whatever it is that happens to us, Virginia love, we must do our best to bear it, mustn’t we.’ ‘Oh, of <i>course</i>, Stephen darling,’ said Virginia. ‘You know I’ll do whatever you do.’ She laid her head on his breast, and they gave themselves up to those happy lawful caresses that are at once the joy and the duty of the married. Exquisite arrangement, Stephen considered, who had been starved of caresses till middle age, and now, let lawfully loose among them, found them more delightful than in his most repented-of dreams he had dared imagine--exquisite arrangement, by which the more you love the greater is your virtue. ‘After all, my darling,’ he whispered, ‘we have got each other.’ ‘Indeed and indeed we have,’ whispered Virginia, clinging to him. ‘My own dear wife,’ murmured Stephen, holding her close. ‘My own darling husband,’ murmured Virginia, blissfully nestling. Catherine, meanwhile, was hurrying back across muddy fields and many stiles so as not to be late for lunch. Anxious to leave her children--was not Stephen by law now also her child? fantastic thought--to themselves as long as possible, she had rather overdone it, and walked farther than there was time for, so that at the end her walk had almost to become a run. Stephen, she felt sure, was a punctual man. Besides, nobody likes being kept waiting for meals. She hoped they wouldn’t wait. She hurried and got hot. Her shoes were caked in mud, and her hair, for the March wind was blowing, wasn’t neat. She hoped to slip in unseen and arrange herself decently before facing Stephen, but when she arrived within sight of the house they both, having been standing at the window ever since the gong went, came out to meet her. ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have!’ she cried, as soon as they were near enough to hear. ‘You shouldn’t have waited. I’m dreadfully sorry. Am I very late?’ ‘Only a quarter of an hour,’ said Stephen courteously--how wonderful he was, thought Virginia. ‘Nothing at all to worry about. How do you do. This is an unexpected pleasure.’ ‘I hope you don’t mind?’ said Catherine, smiling up at him as they shook hands. ‘I’ve been impulsive. I came down on a sudden wave of longing to be with Virginia. You’ll have to teach me self-control, Stephen.’ ‘We all need that,’ said Stephen. He hid his feelings; he contrived to smile; he was wonderful, thought Virginia. ‘And on my very first day I’m late for lunch,’ said Catherine. ‘I wish you hadn’t waited.’