rred to you? Why have n't I seen you since?"

"Really, I don't know." And he began to hesitate for an explanation. "I
have called, but you have never been at home."

"You were careful to choose the wrong times. You have a way with a
poor girl! You sit down and inform her that she is a person with whom
a respectable young man cannot associate without contamination; your
friend is a very nice fellow, you are very careful of his morals, you
wish him to know none but nice people, and you beg me therefore to
desist. You request me to take these suggestions to heart and to act
upon them as promptly as possible. They are not particularly flattering
to my vanity. Vanity, however, is a sin, and I listen submissively,
with an immense desire to be just. If I have many faults I know it, in
a general way, and I try on the whole to do my best. 'Voyons,' I say
to myself, 'it is n't particularly charming to hear one's self made out
such a low person, but it is worth thinking over; there 's probably a
good deal of truth in it, and at any rate we must be as good a girl as
we can. That 's the great point! And then here 's a magnificent chance
for humility. If there 's doubt in the matter, let the doubt count
against one's self. That is what Saint Catherine did, and Saint Theresa,
and all the others, and they are said to have had in consequence the
most ineffable joys. Let us go in for a little ineffable joy!' I tried
it; I swallowed my rising sobs, I made you my courtesy, I determined I
would not be spiteful, nor passionate, nor vengeful, nor anything that
is supposed to be particularly feminine. I was a better girl than
you made out--better at least than you thought; but I would let the
difference go and do magnificently right, lest I should not do right
enough. I thought of it a deal for six hours when I know I did n't seem
to be, and then at last I did it! Santo Dio!"

"My dear Miss Light, my dear Miss Light!" said Rowland, pleadingly.

"Since then," the young girl went on, "I have been waiting for the
ineffable joys. They have n't yet turned up!"

"Pray listen to me!" Rowland urged.

"Nothing, nothing, nothing has come of it. I have passed the dreariest
month of my life!"

"My dear Miss Light, you are a very terrible young lady!" cried Rowland.

"What do you mean by that?"

"A good many things. We 'll talk them over. But first, forgive me if I
have offended you!"

She looked at him a moment, hesitating, and then thrust her