become tired of each other in the ordinary way."

But in the meantime Mrs. Talboys was among us. There had been no
attempt at secresy, and she was still loudly inveighing against the
grovelling propensities of men. "That's quite true, Mrs. Talboys,"
said one of the elder ladies; "but then women are not always so
careful as they should be. Of course I do not mean to say that
there has been any fault on your part."

"Fault on my part! Of course there has been fault on my part. No
one can make any mistake without fault to some extent. I took him
to be a man of sense, and he is a fool. Go to Naples indeed!"

"Did he want you to go to Naples?" asked Mrs. Mackinnon.

"Yes; that was what he suggested. We were to leave by the train for
Civita Vecchia at six to-morrow morning and catch the steamer which
leaves Leghorn to-night. Don't tell me of wine. He was prepared
for it!" And she looked round about on us with an air of injured
majesty in her face which was almost insupportable.

"I wonder whether he took the tickets over-night," said Mackinnon.

"Naples!" she said, as though now speaking exclusively to herself;
"the only ground in Italy which has as yet made no struggle on
behalf of freedom;--a fitting residence for such a dastard!"

"You would have found it very pleasant at this season," said the
unmarried lady, who was three years her junior.