he noted with delight that she was not so
completely indifferent as usual. If he could keep her attention for a
little while, they might have a really interesting investigation of each
other's thoughts.

"I like thinking of things, too--and trying to discover their meanings
and what caused them. We are all, of course, the victims of heredity."

"That may be," she agreed, "but the will can control any heredity. It
can only manifest itself when we let ourselves drift. The tragedy of it
is that we have drifted too far sometimes before we learn that we could
have directed the course if we had willed. Ignorance is seemingly the
most cruel foe we have to encounter, because we are so defenseless, not
knowing he is there."

She sighed unconsciously and looked out over the beautiful tree-tops,
down to where the Kaiser Park appeared like a little doll's chalet set
among streams and pastures green.

Lord Fordyce was much moved. She was prettier and sweeter than he had
even fancied she would be could he ever contrive to find her all alone.
He watched her covertly; the exquisite peachy skin with its pure color,
and her soft brown hair dressed with a simplicity which he thought
perfection, all appealed to him, and those strange violet eyes rather
round and heavily lashed with brown-shaded lashes, darker at the tips.
The type was not intense or of a studious mould. Circumstance must
indeed have formed an exotic character to have grafted such deep meaning
in their innocent depths. She went on presently, not remarking his
silence.

"It is heredity which makes my country women so nervous and unstable as
a rule. You don't like them, as I know," and she smiled, "and I think,
from your point of view, you are right. You see, we are nearly all
mushroom growths, sprung up in a night--and we have not had time for
poise, or the acceptance with calmness of our good fortune. We are as
yet unbalanced by it, and don't know what we want."

"You are very charming," and he looked truthful, and at that moment felt
so.

"Yes, I know--we can be more charming than any other women because we
have learnt from all the other nations and play which ever part we wish
to select."

"Yes," he admitted, rather too quickly--and her rippling laugh rang out.
He had hardly ever heard her laugh, and it enchanted him, even though he
was nettled at her understanding of his thought.

"It remains for men to make us desire to play the same part always--if
they fin