ghast at the way in which you manage your love affairs!"

"My love affairs!" cried Lydia, "but I haven't got any!"

"Do you mean to say that Lord Tatham is not in love with you?" said Susan
severely--"that he wouldn't marry you to-morrow if you'd let him?"

Lydia flushed, but her look was neither resentful nor repentant.

"Why should we put it in that way?" she said, ardently. "Isn't it
possible to look at men in some other light than as possible husbands?
Haven't they got hearts and minds--don't they think and feel--just like
us?"

"Oh, no, not like us," said Susan hastily--"never."

Lydia smiled.

"Well, enough like us, anyway. Do you ever think, Susy!" she seized her
sister's wrist and looked her in the eyes--"that there are a million more
women than men in this country? It is evident we can't all be married.
Well, then, I withdraw from the competition! It's demoralizing to women;
and it's worse for men. But I don't intend to confine myself to women
friends."

"They bore you," said Susy sharply; "confess it at once!"

"How unkind of you!" Lydia's protest was almost tearful. "You know I have
at least four"--she recalled their names--"who love me, and I them. But
neither men nor women should live in a world apart. They complete each
other."

"Yes--in marriage," said Susan.

"No!--in a thousand other ways--we hardly dream of yet. Not marriage
only--but comradeship--help--in all the great--impersonal--delightful
things!"

"You look like a prophetess," said Susan, appraising her sister's kindled
beauty, with an artistic eye; "but I should like to know what Lady Tatham
has to say!"

Lydia was silent, her lip quivering a little.

"And I warn you," Susan continued, greatly daring, "that Faversham won't
let you do what you like with him!"

Lydia rose slowly, gathered up her golden veil into one big knot without
speaking, and went on with her preparations for bed.

Susy too uncoiled her small figure and stood up.

"I've told mamma not to bother you," she said
abruptly.

Lydia threw an arm round her tormentor.

"Dear Sue, I don't want to scold, but if you only knew how you spoil
things!"

Susy's eyes twinkled. She let Lydia kiss her, and then walking very
slowly to the door, so as not to have an appearance of being put to
flight, she disappeared.

Lydia was left to think--and think--her eyes on the ground. Never had
life run so warmly and richly; she was amply conscious of it. And what,
pray, in spi