Sir Robert had been married long enough to the capricious beauty to know that a raid of this kind always had its object. As soon, therefore, as they had reached the large and lofty apartment known as the study, he gently withdrew his arm, and placing an easy chair for her, threw himself into another, and said, not unkindly, but with an air of resignation: “Well, and what is it you want now, my dear?” Lady Sarah laughed with a very pretty appearance of confusion. “Now, that’s unkind,” she said. “I’m sure I don’t want anything but the pleasure of seeing how well and happy you look. I think, Bertie, it suits you for me to be away!” He shrugged his shoulders slightly. “I have to get used to it, don’t I? Well, and now what is it that has brought you here to-night?” “Won’t you believe, then, that I’m anxious to have one of our nice little talks, after being all this time away?” She crossed her feet, threw herself back in her chair, and putting one pretty little white jewelled hand on each arm of her chair, smiled at him bewitchingly. It was impossible to resist her, and Sir Robert put one of his own hands upon one of hers. “My dear, it’s always a pleasure for me to talk to you,” he said. Lady Sarah gave a pretty little sigh. “That’s better,” she said. “And you know, Bertie, if I do have to ask you for things, and of course I have to very often, it’s only because you’re rich, and I’m poor, and because I’ve nobody to go to but you, when I want money.” Sir Robert had withdrawn his hand, but he could not help a little amusement at the neatness with which she had come back to the important point. “Of course it’s perfectly natural and right that you should come to me for money, and as long as I have it I always give it you, don’t I?” Out of her half shut eyes she threw at him a reproachful glance. “You have plenty,” she said plaintively. “And I think I may truly say, dear,” replied he, in the gentlest of voices, “that as long as I have plenty you have plenty too.” Lady Sarah sat up quickly. “I haven’t any now,” she said. “I’ve come back without a cent! Look here. That’s my very last sovereign!” And opening her great brown eyes with a charming plaintiveness, she turned inside out a gold chain bag studded with pearls, which she wore suspended round her neck at the end of a very long chain, and displayed in triumph the solitary coin. She was shrewd enough not to like the expression she saw on her husband’s face. Yet it was in the kindest of voices that he said: “Well, dear, give me your bills, and I will settle them for you.” But this did not happen to be what Lady Sarah wanted. She frowned petulantly. “No, I’d rather have the money to settle them myself,” she said. He shook his head. “I gave you plenty of money to go away with. But I must see the bills now.” “Why?” He hesitated. “Well, my dear, you are just a little extravagant, aren’t you?” She shrugged her shoulders.