“Don’t know,” said Mr. Stobell, passing his cup up.  “But this trip won’t upset her—­she ain’t going.”

Mrs. Chalk exclaimed loudly and exchanged glances of consternation with Mrs. Stobell; Mr. Stobell, having explained the position, took some more bread and butter and munched placidly.

“Don’t you think it would do her good?” said Mrs. Chalk, at last.

“Might,” said Mr. Stobell, slowly, “and then, again, it mightn’t.”

“But there’s no harm in trying,” persisted Mrs. Chalk.

Mr. Stobell made no reply.  Having reached his fifth slice he was now encouraging his appetite with apricot jam.

“And it’s so cheap,” continued Mrs. Chalk.

“That’s the way I look at it.  If she shuts up the house and gets rid of the servants, same as I am going to do, it will save a lot of money.”

She glanced at Mr. Stobell, whose slowly working jaws and knitted brows appeared to indicate deep thought, and then gave a slight triumphant nod at his wife.

“Servants are so expensive,” she murmured.  “Really, I shouldn’t be surprised if we saved money on the whole affair.  And then think of her health.  She has never quite recovered from that attack of bronchitis.  She has never looked the same woman since.  Think of your feelings if anything happened to her.  Nothing would bring her back to you if once she went.”

“Went where? “inquired Mr. Stobell, who was not attending very much.

“If she died, I mean,” said Mrs. Chalk, shortly.

“We’ve all got to die some day,” said the philosophic Mr. Stobell.  “She’s forty-six.”

Mrs. Stobell interposed.  “Not till September, Robert,” she said, almost firmly.

“It wouldn’t be nice to be buried at sea,” remarked Mr. Chalk, contributing his mite to the discussion.  “Of course, it’s very impressive; but to be left down there all alone while the ship sails on must be very hard.”

[Illustration:  “It wouldn’t be nice to be buried at sea,” remarked Mr. Chalk.”]

Mrs. Stobell’s eyes began to get large.  “I’m feeling quite well,” she gasped.

“Yes, dear,” said Mrs. Chalk, with a threatening glance at her husband.”  Of course, we know that.

But a voyage would do you good.  You can’t deny that.”

Mrs. Stobell, fumbling for her handkerchief, said in a tremulous voice that she had no wish to deny it.  Mr. Stobell, appealed to by the energetic Mrs. Chalk, admitted at once that it might do his wife good, but that it wouldn’t him.

“We’re going to be three jolly bachelors,” he declared, and, first nudging Mr. Chalk to attract his attention, deliberately winked at him.

“Oh, indeed!” exclaimed Mrs. Chalk, drawing herself up;” but you forget that I am coming.”

“Two jolly bachelors, then,” said the undaunted Stobell.

“No,” said Mrs. Chalk, shaking her head, “I am not going alone; if Mrs. Stobell can’t come I would sooner stay at home.”