les wide between the man you just like and the man you could love; but
sometimes the man you could love doesn't want you, and it is wrong even
to think of him, and then it's a temptation to be extra nice to the
other one, because his devotion soothes your wounded feelings.

I suppose Miss Bruce would call it love of admiration, and wish me to
snub the poor fellow, and keep him at arm's length, but I don't see why
I should. It would be conceited to take for granted that he was
seriously in love, and I don't see why I shouldn't enjoy myself when I
get a chance. It's only fun, of course, but I do enjoy playing off
little experiments upon Wallace, to test my power over him, and then to
watch the result! For example, at lunch-time I express a casual wish
for a certain thing, and before four o'clock it is in my possession; or
I show an interest in an entertainment, and tickets appear as if by
magic. It is quite exciting. I feel as if I were playing a thrilling
new game.

The room is almost furnished, and it looks sweet. One can hardly
believe it is the same dreary little den that I saw on that first
evening. We stole, (by kind permission), one or two chairs, a writing-
table, and a dear little Indian cabinet from the overcrowded drawing-
room, and with some help from Midas manufactured the most scrumptious
cosy-corner out of old packing-cases and cushions covered with rose-
coloured brocade. We put a deep frill of the same material, mounted on
a thin brass rail, on the wall above the mantelpiece, and arranged
Lorna's best ornaments and nick-nacks against this becoming background.
It did not seem quite appropriate to the garden idea to hang pictures on
the walls, which is just as well, as she hasn't got any, but I bought
her a tall green pedestal and flower-pot and a big branching palm as my
contribution to the room, and as she says, "It gives the final touch of
luxury to the whole." I could wish for a new fender and fire-irons, and
a few decent rugs, but you can't have everything in this wicked world,
and really, at night when the lamp-light sends a rosy glow through the
newly-covered shade, (only muslin, but it looks like silk!) you could
not wish to see a prettier room.

Lorna is awfully sweet about it. She said to me, "It was your idea,
Una. I shall always feel that it was your gift, and every pleasant hour
I spend here will be another link in the chain which binds us together.
This visit of yours will be memo