l, if he's married, I don't care a straw about him. I fancied
I'd found out why you are such a hard-hearted charmer. But if there is
no secret idol, I'm all at sea again." And Charlie tossed the photograph
into the drawer as if it no longer interested him.

"I'm hard-hearted because I'm particular and, as yet, do not find anyone
at all to my taste."

"No one?" with a tender glance.

"No one" with a rebellious blush, and the truthful addition "I see
much to admire and like in many persons, but none quite strong and good
enough to suit me. My heroes are old-fashioned, you know."

"Prigs, like Guy Carleton, Count Altenberg, and John Halifax I know the
pattern you goody girls like," sneered Charlie, who preferred the Guy
Livingston, Beauclerc, and Rochester style.

"Then I'm not a 'goody girl,' for I don't like prigs. I want a gentleman
in the best sense of the word, and I can wait, for I've seen one, and
know there are more in the world."

"The deuce you have! Do I know him?" asked Charlie, much alarmed.

"You think you do," answered Rose with a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

"If it isn't Pem, I give it up. He's the best-bred fellow I know."

"Oh, dear, no! Far superior to Mr. Pemberton and many years older,"
said Rose, with so much respect that Charlie looked perplexed as well as
anxious.

"Some apostolic minister, I fancy. You pious creatures always like to
adore a parson. But all we know are married."

"He isn't."

"Give a name, for pity's sake I'm suffering tortures of suspense,"
begged Charlie.

"Alexander Campbell."

"Uncle? Well, upon my word, that's a relief, but mighty absurd all the
same. So, when you find a young saint of that sort, you intend to marry
him, do you?" demanded Charlie much amused and rather disappointed.

"When I find any man half as honest, good, and noble as Uncle, I shall
be proud to marry him if he asks me," answered Rose decidedly.

"What odd tastes women have!" And Charlie leaned his chin on his hand
to muse pensively for a moment over the blindness of one woman who could
admire an excellent old uncle more than a dashing young cousin.

Rose, meanwhile, tied up her parcels industriously, hoping she had not
been too severe, for it was very hard to lecture Charlie, though he
seemed to like it sometimes and came to confession voluntarily, knowing
that women love to forgive when the sinners are of his sort.

"It will be mail time before you are done," she said presently, fo