"No, it is not ignorance," Miss Brande demurred. "You have been away so much. You have hardly been in England, you told me, for years, and--" "And progress has been marching in my absence," I interrupted. "So it seems," Miss Metford remarked so significantly that I really could not help retorting with as much emphasis, compatible with politeness, as I could command: "You see I am therefore unable to appreciate the New Woman, of whom I have heard so much since I came home." "The conventional New Woman is a grandmotherly old fossil," Miss Metford said quietly. This disposed of me. I leant back in my seat, and was rigidly silent. Miles of green fields stippled with daisies and bordered with long lines of white and red hawthorn hedges flew past. The smell of new-mown hay filled the carriage with its sweet perfume, redolent of old associations. My long absence dwindled to a short holiday. The world's wide highways were far off. I was back in the English fields. My slight annoyance passed away. I fell into a pleasant day-dream, which was broken by a soft voice, every undulation of which I already knew by heart. "I am afraid you think us very advanced," it murmured. "Very," I agreed, "but I look to you to bring even me up to date." "Oh, yes, we mean to do that, but we must proceed very gradually." "You have made an excellent start," I put in. "Otherwise you would only be shocked." "It is quite possible." I said this with so much conviction that the two burst out laughing at me. I could not think of anything more to add, and I felt relieved when, with a warning shriek, the train dashed into a tunnel. By the time we had emerged again into the sunlight and the solitude of the open landscape I had ready an impromptu which I had been working at in the darkness. I looked straight at Miss Metford and said: "After all, it is very pleasant to travel with girls like you." "Thank you!" "You did not show any hysterical fear of my kissing you in the tunnel." "Why the deuce would you do that?" Miss Metford replied with great composure, as she blew a smoke ring. When we reached our destination I braced myself for another disagreeable minute or two. For if the great Londoners thought us quaint, surely the little country station idlers would swear we were demented. We crossed the platform so quickly that the wonderment we created soon passed. Our luggage was looked after by a servant, to whose care I confided it with a very brief description. The loss of an item of it did not seem to me of as much importance as our own immediate departure.