"For love of the country, I think," Mark answered, with sufficient assurance in the assertion to make Julian wonder if he had received a confidence.
"I want to know this Miss Marchrose," said Lady Rossiter with decision. "I think I must go to the College to-morrow—I have been quite a long time without seeing any of my friends there. Dear Mr. Fuller! I love Mr. Fuller—he and I have such long talks over the welfare of the staff."
"I shall be in there all day to-morrow. Won't you look in and let Miss Marchrose give you a cup of tea?" said Mark.
"Of course I will. They love dispensing a little hospitality, don't they, and I'm always most ceremonious about returning their calls here. Not that Miss Marchrose has come over yet with the others."
Mark looked a little perplexed, and Julian, unexpectedly even to himself, said rather curtly:
"You won't be able to ask her to make one of your Sunday Band of Hope expeditions, Edna."
"No?" said his wife, still smiling. "I know there are wheels within wheels, and one reason, I think, why they trust me is that I respect all the little prejudices and etiquettes that mean so much to them. Give Miss Marchrose due warning, Mark, will you, that I shall call at tea-time to-morrow and see if she is not too busy to let me have some tea. I want to get into touch with all of them, you know."
Julian, in rather grim anticipation of the process as regarded Miss Marchrose, announced his intention next day of accompanying his wife to the College.
"My dear, I am not often honoured, but shall we not rather overwhelm the young woman?"
"I don't think she is easily overwhelmed."