nd human nature. Do you read French?"

"Yes; but not many French novels; I cannot."

"Nor can I," said Carmen, with a sincere face. "They are too realistic
for me." She was at the moment running over in her mind a "situation" in
a paper-covered novel turned down on her nightstand. "Mr. Henderson says
that everybody condemns the French novels, and that people praise the
novels they don't read."

"You know Mr. Henderson very well?"

"Yes; we've known him a long time. He is the only man I'm afraid of."

"Afraid of?"

"Well, you know he is a sort of Club man; that style of man provokes
your curiosity, for you never can tell how much such men know. It makes
you a little uneasy."

Carmen was looking into the fire, as if abstractedly reflecting upon
the nature of men in general, but she did not fail to notice a slight
expression of pain on Margaret's face.

"But there is your Mr. Lyon--"

Margaret laughed. "You do me too much honor. I think you discovered him
first."

"Well, our Mr. Lyon." Carmen was still looking into the fire. "He is
such a good young man!"

Margaret did not exactly fancy this sort of commendation, and she
replied, with somewhat the tone of defending him, "We all have the
highest regard for Mr. Lyon."

"Yes, and he is quite gone on Brandon, I assure you. He intends to do a
great deal of good in the world. I think he spends half his time in
New York studying, he calls it, our charitable institutions. Mamma
reproaches me that I don't take more interest in philanthropy. That is
her worldly side. Everybody has a worldly side. I'm as worldly as I can
be"--this with a look of innocence that denied the self-accusation--"but
I haven't any call to marry into Exeter Hall and that sort of thing.
That is what she means--dear mamma. Are you High-Church or evangelical?"
she asked, after a moment, turning to Margaret?

Margaret explained that she was neither.

"Well, I am High-Church, and Mr. Lyon is evangelical-Church evangelical.
There couldn't be any happiness, you know, without harmony in religious
belief."

"I should think not," said Margaret, now quite recovering herself. "It
must be a matter of great anxiety to you here."

Carmen was quick to note the change of tone, and her face beamed with
merriment as she rose.

"What nonsense I've been talking! I did not intend to go into such deep
things. You must not mind what I said about Mr.--(a little pause to
read Margaret's face)--Mr. Lyon. We estee