Vivie sat opposite her old lover, and near to the man who loved her now with such ill-concealed passion that his hand trembled for her very proximity. She felt strangely elated, strangely gay, at times inclined to laugh as she caught sight of her bruised and puffy face in an opposite mirror, yet happy in the knowledge that notwithstanding the thirteen years of separation, her repeated rejection of his early love, her battered appearance, Frank still felt tenderly towards her, still remembered the timbre of her voice. Her mouth was too sore and swollen to make eating very pleasant. She trifled with her food but she felt young and full of gay adventure. Mrs. Rossiter a little overwhelmed with all the information Gardner had poured out, a little irritated also at the dancing light in Vivie's eyes, turned her questionings on her. _Mrs. Rossiter_: "I suppose you are the Miss Warren who speaks so much. I often see your name in the papers, especially in _Votes for Women_ that the Professor takes in. Isn't it funny that a man should care so much about women getting the vote? I'm sure _I_ don't want it. I'm _quite_ content to exercise _my_ influence through _him_, especially now he's in Parliament. But then I have my home to look after, and I'm _much_ too busy to go out and about and mix myself up in politics. I'm quite content to leave all that to the menfolk." _Vivie_: "Quite so. In your position no doubt I should do the same; but you see I haven't any menfolk. There is my mother, but she prefers to live abroad, and as she is comfortably off she can employ servants to look after her." (This hint of wealth a little reassured Mrs. Rossiter, who believed most Suffragettes to be adventuresses.) "So, as I have no ties I prefer to give myself up to the service of women in general. When they have the vote and other privileges of men, then of course I can attend to my private interests and pursuits--mathematical calculations, insurance risks--" _Mrs. Rossiter_: "It is _extraordinary_ how like your voice is to your cousin's. If I shut my eyes I could think he was back again. Not," (she added hastily) "that he has not, no doubt, _plenty_ to do abroad. Do you ever see him now? Why does he not marry and settle down? One never hears of him now as a barrister. But then he used to _feel_ his cases too much. The last time he was here he fainted and had to stay here all night.