“I think I had rather you began. Remember our old conditions. You are not to checkmate me in three moves; and you are not to take my queen.” “Very well. You may rely upon it I shall think more of my adversary than of my game. Check.” “Oh! You have done it in three moves. That is not fair. I won’t play any more unless you take back that.” “No, I assure you it is not checkmate. My bishop should be at the other side for that. There! of course, that will do.” “What a noise Marmaduke makes over his cards! I hope the people next door will not hear him swearing.” “Impossible. You must not move that knight: it exposes your king. Do you know, I think there is a great charm about this house.” “Indeed? Yes, it is a pretty house.” “And this sunset hour makes it additionally so; Besides, it is inexpressibly sad to see you here, a perfectly happy and perfectly beautiful mistress of this romantic foreign home.” “What do you mean, Sholto?” “I call it a foreign home because, though it is yours, I have no part nor lot in it. Remember, we are only playing at old times to-night. Everything around, from the organ to the ring on your finger, reminds me that I am a stranger here. It seems almost unkind of you to regret nothing whilst I am full of regrets.” “Check,” said Marian. “Mind your game, sir.” “Flippant!” exclaimed Douglas, impatiently moving his king. “I verily believe that if your husband were at the bottom of the Thames at this moment, you would fly off unconcernedly to some other nest, and break hearts with as much indifference as ever.” “I wish you would not make suggestions of that sort, Sholto. You make me uncomfortable. Something _might_ happen to Ned. I wish he were home. He is very late.” “Happy man. You can be serious when you think about him. I envy him.” “What! Sholto Douglas stoop to envy any mortal! Prodigious!” “Yes: it has come to that with me. Why should I not envy him? His career has been upward throughout. He has been a successful worker in the world, where I have had nothing real to do. When the good things I had been dreaming of and longing for all my life came in his path, he had them for the mere asking. I valued them so highly that when I fancied I possessed them, I was the proudest of men. I am humble enough now that I am beggared.” “You are really talking the greatest nonsense.” “No doubt I am. Still in love, Marian, you see. There is no harm in telling you so now.” “On the contrary, it is now that there is harm. For shame, Sholto!” “I am not ashamed. I tell you of my love because now you can listen to me without uneasiness, knowing that it is no longer associated with hope, or desire, or anything but regret. You see that I do not affect the romantic lover. I eat very well; I play chess; I go into society; and you reproach me for growing fat.”