'Impossible,' he repeated, shaking his head. 'Do you go much to the theatre?' she asked conversationally. 'Never. It would interfere with my work.' 'What is your work, exactly?' she asked, with polite interest. 'It's difficult to explain, Mrs Ottley. It takes a great many forms.' 'Oh, yes.' 'Just at this moment I'm a Legitimist--you understand, don't you? We drink to Queen Mary over the water--and put violets on the statue of King Charles the Martyr in February, and so forth.' 'Ah. That must be very hard work.' 'Oh, it isn't only that--I'm a kind of Secretary, you see, to the Society.' 'Really? Really? What fun it must be; I mean how interesting. Can I belong?' 'Oh, dear yes, of course, Mrs Ottley. If you liked.' 'What should I have to do?' 'Well, first of all you would have to pay a shilling.' 'Yes?' 'And then you would be eligible for a year's probation.' 'And what should we do after that?' 'Well, after that, you see, we shall have to bide our time.' 'That doesn't sound very hard,' said Edith thoughtfully. 'Just to pay a shilling and bide your time.' 'I'll send you some papers about it, if you really take any interest.' 'Thanks. Thanks, very much. Yes, do send them.' 'Do you really think you would care to become a member, Mrs Ottley?' 'Oh, yes; yes, I should think so. I always hated Oliver Cromwell.' He looked doubtful. 'Yes, of course--but that alone, I'm afraid, would hardly be ... you see there might be a revolution at any moment.' 'I see. But--excuse my asking you, what has that to do with the British Museum?' 'I can hardly tell you off-hand like this, Mrs Ottley; but if you let me come again one day--' 'Oh, certainly, do--do come again.' 'Then I'll say good-bye for today,' said Raggett, with an admiring look. 'I--I hope I haven't trespassed on your valuable--' 'Oh, no; not in the least.' 'I've enjoyed our talk so much,' said Raggett, lingering. 'So have I, Mr Raggett. It has been most interesting.' 'I--I felt,' said Raggett, now standing up and looking very shy, 'I somehow felt at once that there was a kind of--may I say, sympathy?' 'Quite so.' 'Yes? Well, give my kind regards to Ottley, and thank you so much.' They shook hands, she rang the bell, and he rushed out as if he was in a violent hurry, leaving Edith rather bewildered. At dinner that evening Edith said-- 'Fancy, Bruce, Raggett called today!' Bruce dropped his spoon in the soup and looked up. '_Raggett_? He--do you mean to say he came here?' 'Yes. He paid a visit. Why shouldn't he?' 'I don't know, but it seems a very odd thing. He never pays visits. What did he seem to think of the flat?' 'He didn't say. He talked about his work.' 'What did you think of him?' asked Bruce. 'He seemed very vague. He's very good-natured; fancy his sending me all those flowers!' 'He sent you flowers?' said Bruce slowly. '_Raggett_!' 'Surely you don't mind?' Bruce waited a minute and said, 'We'll talk it over after dinner.'