"I am afraid I cannot see my way to giving any such promise, for I fail to see how we _can_ be quieter without interfering with our own duties. I have three sisters, and music is the profession by which one of them hopes to make a living. If she gave up practising it would seriously injure her prospects. The others are busy all day long, and naturally wish for a little relaxation at night. Although you give us no credit for consideration, I may tell you that we are constantly calling our young brother to order in case he should disturb you, but I should not feel it right to make home dull and cheerless by forbidding any noise whatever." "It does not occur to you that under those circumstances you are hardly the right tenants for a flat, but ought to be in a house of your own?" "It occurs to me that we are the best judges of our own actions," returned Philippa icily, fighting down the wild longing that arose, even as she spoke, for a place of their own--a nest, however small, where they might dwell in peace and freedom. "You are not the only tenant, Mr Neil, who has to endure disagreeables from his neighbours; we also might find ground for complaint, if we wished to be disagreeable. My sisters sleep above your study, and they say you keep poking the fire until two in the morning and waking them up with a start. Then, too, you have a hanging lamp or chandelier which you push up, and which makes a most unpleasant noise; and in the autumn evenings you smoked strong cigars on your balcony until we were poisoned with the smell. Oh, there are a thousand things which I could mention," cried Philippa--though in truth she would have been puzzled to add one more complaint to her list--"but I would not stoop to it! It is too miserably petty and degrading to be everlastingly picking quarrels. I am sick of it." "Not more heartily than I am. I have lived in these buildings for nearly ten years and have only once before made a complaint--which, I may remark, was met in a very different spirit." The Hermit was evidently growing ruffled in his turn, and could not resist a parting shot before he left the room. "As I said before, I should be sorry to have to complain at headquarters, but I do not intend to have my comfort ruined by new-comers who have no claim on the establishment. If it becomes impossible for us both to live under one roof, I have little doubt who would be asked to remain."