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Rh remarkable rapidity. Lucia felt dreadfully inclined to ask him whether the idea was that the richness of tone in their house was supposed to be the deterrent, but wisely refrained.

"Oh, I quite agree," she said. "It shows an uneasy consciousness of one's lack of ideas to sit down to bridge immediately after dinner. People like playing largely because it prohibits conversation, and prevents their barren minds being exposed."

"Then let us never have a card-table put out when we entertain," he said. "Coming fresh to London, we have to experiment rather, to make trial of hosts of people, but that will sift them."

There was something priceless about this, but she replied quite gravely.

"Ah! let us go one better," she said; "let us have bridge-tables under our guests' very noses, and see how much more attractive they find conversation."

She had forgotten about this, as a matter of fact, but Edgar had not, and when he came upstairs again after seeing the last guest off to-night, he pointed to the tables.

"You were right, darling," he said. "Nobody wanted to play. Nobody does, except when he is bored. I noticed also that, though carriages were announced at half-past eleven, there wasn't a move made till after twelve."

Lucia was a little sleepy.

"I think it went off all right," she said. "I don't think people found it tiresome. Oh, Edgar, I am sorry about that cigarette. I was interested; I quite forgot."

He made a great concession.

"I am inclined to relax my prohibition," he said. "I noticed Lady Heron smoked, and I talked to her about it. I said I did not wish you to smoke in public."

Lucia resented this; she was quite willing to indulge any foolish prejudices of her husband, provided they did not seriously inconvenience her, but she rebelled against the tone that alluded to them as a prohibition to her.

"I don't think you should have done that," she said. "It makes one out a child, as if I should not do as I chose."

That would not do; that was a mistake. She instantly covered it up.

"Darling, it makes you such a Bluebeard," she said; "and you are not. But as the prohibition is relaxed, we needn't say