Bruce having mentioned his name, Edith now told him the news about her visit to their friend. Bruce liked good news--more, perhaps, because it was news than because it was good--yet the incident seemed to put him in a rather bad temper. He was sorry for Aylmer's illness, glad he was better, proud of knowing him, or, indeed, of knowing anyone who had been publicly mentioned; and jealous of the admiration visible in both Edith and Madame Frabelle. This medley of feeling resulted in his taking up a book and saying: 'Good heavens! Again I've found you've dog's-eared my book, Edith!' 'I only turned down a page,' she said gently. 'No, you haven't; you've dog's-eared it. It's frightfully irritating, dear, how you take no notice of my rebukes or my comments. Upon my word, what I say to you seems to go in at one ear and out at the other, just like water on a duck's back.' 'How does the water on a duck's back get into the dog's ears?--I mean the duck's ears. Oh, I'm sorry. I won't do it again.' Bruce sighed, flattened out the folded page and left the room with quiet dignity, but caught his foot in the mat. Both ladies ignored the accident. When he had gone, Madame Frabelle said: 'Poor Edith!' 'Bruce is only a little tidy,' said Edith. 'I know. My husband was dreadfully untidy, which is much worse.' 'I suppose they have their faults.' 'Oh, men are all alike!' exclaimed Madame Frabelle cynically. 'Only some men,' said Edith. 'Besides, to a woman--I mean, a nice woman--there is no such thing as men. There is a man; and either she is so fond of him that she can talk of nothing else, however unfavourably, or so much in love with him that she never mentions his name.' 'Men often say women are all alike,' said Madame Frabelle. 'When a man says that, he means there is only one woman in the world, and he's in love with her, and she is not in love with him.' 'Men are not so faithful as women,' remarked Madame Frabelle, with the air of a discovery. 'Perhaps not. And yet--well, I think the difference is that a man is often more in love with the woman he is unfaithful to than with the woman he is unfaithful with. With us it is different.... Madame Frabelle, I think I'll take Archie with me today to see Aylmer Ross. Tell Bruce so, casually; and will you come with me another day?' 'With the greatest pleasure,' said Madame Frabelle darkly, and with an expressive look. (Neither she nor Edith had any idea what it expressed.) Edith found Aylmer wonderfully better. The pretty little nurse with the dark face and pale blue eyes told her he had had a peaceful night and had bucked up tremendously. He was seated in an arm-chair with one leg on another chair, and with him was Arthur Coniston, a great admirer of his.