"A charming hostess," said Robert, with an elaborate little bow of courtliness. A fortnight later saw Robert installed at Sunningdale and the Beenhams in occupation of his chambers. They shared only the dining-room; Old Mole had the upstairs rooms and Matilda those downstairs. It was his arrangement, and came from reaction against the closeness in which they had lived during the long pilgrimage from lodging to lodging. Once a fortnight Robert engaged Old Mole to play golf with him, and he consented because he desired to give Matilda as full a liberty as she could desire. In the alternate weeks Robert came to stay for two nights and occupied his room next to Old Mole's. He would take them out to dinner and the theater, and after it the brothers would sit up yarning until the small hours, and always the discussion would begin by Robert saying: " 'Pon my honor, women are extraordinary!" And then, completely to his own satisfaction, he would produce those generalizations which, in England, pass for a knowledge of human nature, and Old Mole would recognize them as old companions of his own. They were too absurd for anger, but Robert's persistence would annoy him, and he would say: "When you live with a woman you are continually astonished to find that she is a human being." "Human," answered Robert, sweetening the sentiment with a sip of port, "with something of the angel." "Angel be damned," came in explosive protest, "women are just as human as ourselves, and rather more so." "Ah!" said Robert, with blissful inconsequence, "but it doesn't do to let 'em know it."