“It’s a great deal better built than a lot of those new houses by the Park,” Constance sharply retorted.  In spite of herself she resented any criticism of her house.  She even resented the obvious truth that it was old.

“You’ll never get a servant to stay in that cellar-kitchen, for one thing,” said Sophia, keeping calm.

“Oh!  I don’t know about that!  I don’t know about that!  That Bennion woman didn’t object to it, anyway.  It’s all very well for you, Sophia, to talk like that.  But I know Bursley perhaps better than you do.”  She was tart again.  “And I can assure you that my house is looked upon as a very good house indeed.”

“Oh!  I don’t say it isn’t; I don’t say it isn’t.  But you would be better away from it.  Every one says that.”

“Every one?” Constance looked up, dropping her work.  “Who?  Who’s been talking about me?”

“Well,” said Sophia, “the doctor, for instance.”

“Dr. Stirling?  I like that!  He’s always saying that Bursley is one of the healthiest climates in England.  He’s always sticking up for Bursley.”

“Dr. Stirling thinks you ought to go away more—­not stay always in that dark house.”  If Sophia had sufficiently reflected she would not have used the adjective ‘dark.’  It did not help her cause.

“Oh, does he!” Constance fairly snorted.  “Well, if it’s of any interest to Dr. Stirling, I like my dark house.”

“Hasn’t he ever told you you ought to go away more?” Sophia persisted.

“He may have mentioned it,” Constance reluctantly admitted.

“When he was talking to me he did a good deal more than mention it.  And I’ve a good mind to tell you what he said.”

“Do!” said Constance, politely.

“You don’t realize how serious it is, I’m afraid,” said Sophia.  “You can’t see yourself.”  She hesitated a moment.  Her blood being stirred by Constance’s peculiar inflection of the phrase ’my dark house,’ her judgment was slightly obscured.  She decided to give Constance a fairly full version of the conversation between herself and the doctor.

“It’s a question of your health,” she finished.  “I think it’s my duty to talk to you seriously, and I have done.  I hope you’ll take it as it’s meant.”

“Oh, of course!” Constance hastened to say.  And she thought:  “It isn’t yet three months that we’ve been together, and she’s trying already to get me under her thumb.”

A pause ensued.  Sophia at length said:  “There’s no doubt that both your sciatica and your palpitations are due to nerves.  And you let your nerves get into a state because you worry over trifles.  A change would do you a tremendous amount of good.  It’s just what you need.  Really, you must admit, Constance, that the idea of living always in a place like St. Luke’s Square, when you are perfectly free to do what you like and go where you like—­you must admit it’s rather too much.”

Constance put her lips together and bent over her embroidery.