She sat down in a high-backed Carolean chair. "I don’t want to go into all that," she said stiffly. "I shall be able to stand it all right when I come back. A little holiday is what I really want, and what I mean to have. It’s not much to ask, after nearly eighteen years. Well, I say ask—but I’m not asking. I’m just telling you that I’m going away on Thursday, or perhaps Friday, and I shall come back in a week—or ten days." It was not quite the address of one stately lady to another, but it seemed to have served its turn. Lady Brent turned back to her writing-table and took up her rimmed spectacles. "Very well," she said. Mrs. Brent sat in her high-backed chair, looking at her. She placed her spectacles upon her well-shaped nose, and took up her pen. Then she said, as calmly as before: "If you tell me you are going there is no more to be said. I’ll finish what I’m doing now, before luncheon." "Then you’re ready for me to go; you don’t mind," said Mrs. Brent. "It doesn’t much matter whether I mind or not, does it? You tell me you are going. You refuse to discuss it with me?" "Well, I don’t want to make trouble. It’s no good talking over things. There’s nothing much wrong, really. If I go away now for a bit I shall be all right when I come back. I expect, really, I shall be rather glad to get back." Lady Brent put down her pen and took off her spectacles. "Oh, but if you go away you won’t come back," she said, turning towards her again. "Surely you understand that!" Mrs. Brent felt that she had been entrapped into an opening unfavourable to herself. Now was the time, if she had it in her, to exercise the restraint and reserve shown by Lady Brent. But it was not in her; she became angry at once, and showed her anger. "Of course I might have known that you were leading me on," she said bitterly. "I dare say it seems very clever to you, and it’s what you’re always doing. But I’m not going to give in to it any more. I’m going away—only just for a little holiday—and I’m coming back. You can’t prevent me. This is my home. I’ve lived here getting on for eighteen years—me and my child. I dare say you’d like to keep him and get rid of me. But you can’t do it." "If I wanted to do that I could do it," returned Lady Brent; and, as the statement brought no immediate response, she repeated it, in the same level tone but with slightly increased emphasis. "If I wanted to do that I could do it."