The door of the partners' room opened and in walked Honoria Fraser. She was probably three years older than Vivie and likewise a well-favoured woman, a little more matronly in appearance, somewhat after the style of a married actress who really loves her husband and has preserved her own looks wonderfully, though no one would take her for less than twenty-eight. At the sight of her, Vivie lost her frown and tossed the letter on to the bureau. Honoria Fraser had been lunching with friends in Portland Place. _Honoria_: "What a swotter you are! I _thought_ I should find you here. I suppose the staff departed punctually at One? I've come back expressly from the Michael Rossiters to carry you off to them--or rather to Kew. They're going to have tea with the Thiselton-Dyers and then revel in azaleas and roses. I shall go out and charter a hansom and we'll drive down ... it'll be some compensation for your having worked extra hard whilst I've been away.... "I met such a delightful man at the Rossiters'!" (slightly flushing) "Don't look at me so reproachfully! There _are_ delightful men--a few--in existence. This one has been wounded in South Africa and he's so good-looking, though the back of his head is scarred and he'll always walk with a limp.... Now then! Why do you look so solemn? Put on your hat..." _Vivie_: "I look solemn because I'm just considering a proposal of marriage--or rather, the fewest words in which I can refuse it. I don't think I want to go to Kew at all ... much sooner we had tea together, here, on the roof..." _Norie_: "I suppose it's Frank Gardner again, as I see his handwriting on that envelope. Well I'm sorry about Kew--I should have enjoyed it..." _Vivie_ (bitterly): "I expect it's that 'delightful man' that attracts you." _Norie_: "Nonsense! I'm vowed to virginity, like you are ... I really don't care if I never see Major Armstrong again ... though he certainly _is_ rather a darling ... very good-looking ... and, d'you know, he's almost a Pro-Boer, though the Boers ambushed him.... Says this war's a beastly mistake.... "Well: I'll have tea here instead, if you like, and we can talk business, which we haven't done for a fortnight. I must get out of the way of paying visits in the country. They make one so discontented with the City afterwards. I've had a feeling lately I should like to have been a farmer.... Too much of the work of the firm has been thrown on you.... But there's lots and lots I want to talk over. I abandon Kew, willingly, and as to Major Armstrong.... However he can always find my address if he cares to..." _Vivie_ (sits down in one of the arm chairs and Norie takes the other): "Oh don't pity me. I love hard work and work which interests me. And as to working for _you_, you know there's nothing I wouldn't..."