Rowena laughed a little unsteadily. "Di, dear. I've always liked you, partly because Mrs. Burke was so fond of you, partly for your own sake. Do use your mental powers. There are many circles in the world, all different, but all moving round their own centres. Change your centre. If one circle fails you—or one centre I'll say—for goodness' sake don't go on tramping it for ever, but leave it and try another." "Now this is what I like. My brain is just clever enough to understand it!" "You may laugh and mock at me, but I'm in dead earnest. I feel like Alice through the looking-glass, as if I should like to shake the red queen into a kitten. I would like to shake and shake you till your foundation tumbled down, and you were shaken into a new kind of creature altogether, with fresh joy in life, and fresh springs in your heart, and fresh hopes and ideals in front of you." "Don't mix your metaphors. Keep to the circles. I won't be shaken into a kitten." "There's only one circle I want you in." "Of course, I know which one that is—the one you're in yourself, the one into which you dragged Mrs. Burke. I'll allow it made her happy; but she always was a happy creature, and always would be in any circumstances." "Do you think she would have been when everything that she cared for was taken from her?" "Perhaps not; but that was where you and your circle came in. Just in the nick of time you moved her out of the one that was destroyed and planted her in another. Now, I haven't come to the end of mine." "I thought you had." "No; I'm not crippled and confined to bed. I can move, and have all the faculties for still enjoying life, but want of money and position prevents me from using them." "Do you think it's a good thing to wait till utter ruin comes to you?" "How comforting you are! I honestly want worldly wisdom from you, not pious talk." "I'm not worldly wise, but I'll try to be. Live within your income, and make the best of your circumstances. Take up some other hobby that will take the place of the one in which you now cannot indulge." "What dull and impossible counsel. As well tell a fish to live out of water and cultivate the air for his home." "Exactly," said Rowena. "You've hit the nail on the head." There was a little silence between them, then Di threw away the last bit of her cigarette, and stared gloomily down from the wall to the waters of the loch below. "The centre of my circle is, of course, myself. I see that," she said. "Whom else should I revolve round but my dear precious self? It is so very disappointing if you revolve round another. I did that once, but never again." Rowena knew she was alluding to her unfortunate love affair some years previously. "I think we're a great disappointment to ourselves," said Rowena. "I see my husband coming. Cheer up, Di. I believe you're going to see light soon. We'll have another talk later." Di turned to the General with her most charming smile.