She had never heard Raymond say anything nice of Mrs. Ashton--he had always spoken about her in a bitter, half sneering way.
"Do you always judge people by what you call 'instinct'?" she asked. "When I first knew you you told me that you felt sure you would like me before ever you saw me, and----"
"And I was right," June said triumphantly. "I nearly always am right when I get an instinct about anything. Micky says it's all rot!--there I am, talking about him again--it's a habit, so don't notice it! But even he has to admit how often I am right; I could give you dozens of instances."
Esther did not pursue the subject; she was remembering how June had said that she had an "instinct" that Raymond was not nice.
"I think you're the most original person I've ever met," she said with a little smile.
"Eccentric, Micky says I am----" she answered, then broke off with a comical look of despair. "You really must excuse me for everlastingly dragging him in," she apologised. "As I said before, it's a habit--and there goes the dinner gong. Are we going to feed here to-day?"
"I am," she said. "And I'm hungry, so I do hope there's something nice."
"Curry," said June, sniffing the air critically. "The colonel will be pleased; he's always telling us how they used to make curry in India, poor old chap! Though I don't think any of us really believe that he's ever been there."
"He's ill," so young Harley told the two girls as they sat down at their table. "I went up to see him this morning, and he really looks ill."
"You don't look in exactly rude health yourself," said June in her blunt fashion. She noticed that Harley looked at Esther a great deal, and she made up her mind to tell him at the earliest opportunity that Esther was engaged. June scented romance everywhere.
"They are the first violets I have seen this year," Esther was saying, looking at a little bunch the young man wore in his coat.
He took them out eagerly and laid them down beside her plate.
"Do have them, will you? I never wear flowers really, but a girl in the street begged me to buy them."
"They are my favourite flowers," she said. "And I haven't had any given to me for--oh, for ever so long."
It gave her a little pang to remember that Ashton had always brought her violets in the first days of their acquaintance. It was one of the many little attentions which he had gradually dropped.