"Another strange face," Sarah remarked, looking after the butler who had just brought in the coffee. "I thought you were one of those women, Josephine, who always kept their servants." "I do, as a rule," was the quiet reply, "only sometimes Henry intervenes. If there is one thing that the modern servant dislikes, it is sarcasm, and sarcasm is Henry's favourite weapon when he wants to be really disagreeable. Generally speaking, I think a servant would rather be sworn at." "You seem to have made a clean sweep this time." Josephine stirred her coffee thoughtfully. "Henry has been having one of his bad weeks," she said. "He has been absolutely impossible to every one. He threatened to give every servant in the house notice, the other day, because his bell wasn't answered, so I took him at his word. We've no one left except the cook, and she declined to go. She has been with us ever since we were married. All the same, I wouldn't have had any one but you and Jimmy to dinner to-night. I wasn't at all sure how things would turn out. Besides, it isn't every one I'd care to ask into this dungeon of a room." "I was wondering why we were here, Josephine," Sarah remarked, looking around her. "It used to be one of your hospital rooms, surely?" Josephine nodded. "The other rooms want turning out, dear. I knew you wouldn't mind." There are women as well as men who have learnt the art of a sociable silence. Josephine and Sarah finished their cigarettes and their coffee in a condition of reflective ease. Then Sarah stood up and straightened her hair in front of the mirror. "Josephine," she announced, "I am going to marry Jimmy." "You have really made up your minds at last, then?" her hostess enquired, with interest. "My dear," Sarah declared, "we've come to the conclusion that we can't afford to remain single any longer. We are both spending far too much money." "I am sure I wish you luck," Josephine said earnestly. "I am very fond of Jimmy." "He is rather a dear." "I wonder how you'll like settling down. It will be a very different life for you." "Of course," Sarah admitted with a sigh, "I hate giving up my profession, but there is a sort of monotony about it when Jimmy insists upon being my only fare." "Is this the reason why Jimmy is making his great debut as a man of affairs?" Josephine asked. "Not exactly," Sarah replied. "As a matter of fact, that was rather a bluff. His mother is so afraid of his starting in some business where they'll get him to put some money in, that she has agreed to allow him a couple of thousand a year until he comes in for his property, on condition that he clears out of the City altogether." "That seems quite decent of her. Where are you going to live?" "In the bailiff's cottage on the Longmere estate, which will come to Jimmy some day. Jimmy is going to take an interest in farming. So long as it isn't his own farm, his mother thinks that won't hurt." Josephine laughed softly.