"You are a great comfort to me, girl," she said. "I can talk to you and air all my notions as I could to a man--and you do not answer upon another subject. For you know, my dear, that if the basis of your argument with nine women out of ten happens to be that the sea is salt, they will reply that on the contrary the moon is made of green cheese! You mildly protest that it is the taste of the sea, not the composition of the moon which is in question, and then they say they totally disagree with you and that the sun is warm! You are done!--There is nothing left for you but to smile and talk of clothes!" Katherine laughed delightedly. How well she knew this style of argument! Matilda had always practised it. "I believe I owe to my dear lady the faculty of seeing a little differently." "Not at all!--You always were as sharp as a needle. I may merely have encouraged you perhaps." "It is through your kindness and sympathy that I have emerged and broken away from the stultifying bonds of my class. Oh! if you only knew how deep is my gratitude!" She was very seldom moved like this, and Lady Garribardine looked at her closely. "Tut, tut, child--you were made for great things, and it is because I realised this at once, almost, that I have sympathised with you. I could not have kept you back any more than I could have created qualities in you. I could merely have delayed your upward progress or, as I hope I have done, advanced it. The spirit in you is God-given and I have nothing to do with it." Katherine's eyes softened with love and reverence! Her dear, dear friend and benefactress! When she was alone, Lady Garribardine thought deeply over everything, their respect and affection were mutual. It troubled her a little to see the girl so quiet--Mordryn had played quite fairly, she hoped--but yes--he could never do otherwise. She guessed what was the reason of the estrangement--if estrangement there was--on his side, and it caused her no permanent concern. "When a man feels as Mordryn feels, no class prejudice in the world will keep him from the woman in the end! Only let him suffer enough and then give them an opportunity to meet, and all will be well!"