'I think, Madge,' her sister said, gravely, 'that you should not set your heart on a town-house at all. Remember, old Mr. King is giving his son Kingscourt at a great sacrifice. As I understand it, it will be a long time before the family estate is what it has been; and you would be very ungrateful if you were extravagant----' 'Oh, I don't see that,' said Madge. 'They are conferring no favour on me. I don't see why I should economise. I am marrying for fun, not for love.' She blurted out this inadvertently--to Nan's amazement and horror--but instantly retracted it, with the blood rushing to her temples. 'Of course I don't mean that, Nan--how could I have been so stupid! I don't mean _that--exactly_. What I mean is that it doesn't seem to me as if it was supposed to be a very fearfully romantic match, and all that kind of thing. It's a very good arrangement; but it isn't I who ought to be expected to make sacrifices----' 'But surely your husband's interests will be yours!' exclaimed Nan. 'Oh yes, certainly,' her sister said, somewhat indifferently. 'No doubt that's true, in a way. Quite true, in a kind of way. Still, there are limits; and I should not like to be buried alive for ever in the country.' Then she sighed. 'Poor Jack!' she said. She went to the window. 'When I marry, I know at least one who will be sorry. I can fancy him walking up and down there--looking at the house as he used to do; and, oh! so grateful if only you went to the window for a moment. He will see it in the papers, I suppose.' She turned to her sister, and said, triumphantly-- 'Well, the Vice-Chancellor was done that time!' 'What time?' 'Valentine's morning. You can send flowers without any kind of writing to be traced. Do you think I don't know who sent me the flowers?' 'At all events, you should not be proud of it. You should be sorry. It is a very great pity----' 'Yes, that's what I think,' said Madge. 'How can I help pitying him? It wouldn't be natural not to pity him, Vice-chancellor or no Vice-chancellor. I hate that man.' 'I say it is a great pity that Mr. Hanbury does not accept his dismissal as inevitable; and as for you, Madge, you ought not even to think of him. Captain King sent you that beautiful card-case on Valentine's morning; that is what you should remember.' 'Captain King could send me a white elephant if he chose,' said Madge, spitefully. 'There's no danger to him in anything he does. It's different with poor Jack.' 'Madge,' said her sister, seriously, 'do you know that you are talking as if you looked forward to this marriage with regret?' 'Oh no, I don't--I'm not such a fool,' said Madge, plainly. 'I know it's stupid to think about Jack Hanbury; but still, one has got a little feeling.' Then she laughed.