’I hope you like mutton-chops and potatoes; I do,’ he said.  Then she told him of her ambition about the beef-steak, acknowledging that, as it must now be shared between two, the glorious idea of putting a part of it away in a cupboard must be abandoned.  ’I don’t believe in beef-steaks,’ he said.  ’A beef-steak may mean anything.  At our club, a beef-steak is a sumptuous and expensive luxury.  Now, a mutton-chop means something definite, and must be economical.’

‘Then we will have the mutton-chops at home,’ said Nora, ’and you shall go to your club for the beef-steak.’

When they reached Eccleston Square, Nora insisted on taking Hugh Stanbury up to Lady Milborough.  It was in vain that he pleaded that he had come all the way from Dover on a very dusty day, all the way from Dover, including a journey in a Hansom cab to Twickenham and back, without washing his hands and face.  Nora insisted that Lady Milborough was such a dear, good, considerate creature, that she would understand all that, and Hugh was taken into her presence.  ’I am delighted to see you, Mr Stanbury,’ said the old lady, ’and hope you will think that Nora is in good keeping.’

’She has been telling me how very kind you have been to her.  I do not know where she could have bestowed herself if you had not received her.’

’There, Nora I told you he would say so.  I won’t tell tales, Mr Stanbury; but she had all manner of wild plans which I knew you wouldn’t approve.  But she is very amiable, and if she will only submit to you as well as she does to me.’

’I don’t mean to submit to him at all, Lady Milborough, of course not.  I am going to marry for liberty.’

’My dear, what you say, you say in joke; but a great many young women of the present day do, I really believe, go up to the altar and pronounce their marriage vows, with the simple idea that as soon as they have done so, they are to have their own way in everything.  And then people complain that young men won’t marry!  Who can wonder at it?’

‘I don’t think the young men think much about the obedience,’ said Nora.’Some marry for money, and some for love.  But I don’t think they marry to get a slave.’

‘What do you say, Mr Stanbury?’ asked the old lady.

‘I can only assure you that I shan’t marry for money,’ said he.

Two or three days after this Nora left her friend in Eccleston Square, and domesticated herself for awhile with her sister.  Mrs Trevelyan declared that such an arrangement would be comfortable for her, and that it was very desirable now, as Nora would so soon be beyond her reach.  Then Lady Milborough was enabled to go to Dorsetshire, which she did not do, however, till she had presented Nora with the veil which she was to wear on the occasion of her wedding.  ’Of course I cannot see it, my dear, as it is to take place at Monkhams; but you must write and tell me the day and I will think of you.  And you, when you put on the veil, must think of me.’  So they parted, and Nora knew that she had made a friend for life.