unt than everything you know. You might be
conceited enough to believe them if you went by your own lovers, but
you want to look on at other people's love affairs, and see how much
is to be depended on there, and measure your own by them, and it will
keep your head cool," said this girl, who had the most sensible head I
ever saw in conjunction with her degree of beauty.

She had contracted the habit of slipping into my room for a talk
before going to bed, and as her bright presence there was a delight to
me, I encouraged her in it. The gorgeous kimono was a great
attraction; she loved it so that I had given it her after the first
night, but did not tell her so, or she would have carried it away to
her own room, where I would have been deprived of the pleasure of
seeing it nightly enhance the loveliness of her firm white throat and
arms.

"How did you and Dora get on together?" she presently inquired.

"Well, you see we didn't elope; how did you and Ernest manage?"

"Well, you see we didn't elope," she laughed.

"No, but you might have arranged such a thing."

"Arranged for such a thing!" she said scornfully. "I'm not in the
habit of trucking with other people's belongings."

"What do you mean?"

"It was you who said something about his young lady this afternoon--as
far as I can see he doesn't behave much as if he had one."

So it was my chance remark that had run her wheel out of groove during
the last few hours!

"Does he not?" I replied. "I think he appears more as though he has a
young lady now than he did during my previous knowledge of him."

"Well, I don't know how you see it," she said, as she tore down her
pretty hair.

"What!" I ejaculated in feigned consternation. "He has not been making
love to you, has he, Dawn? I always had such faith in his manliness."

"Well, he doesn't _say_ anything," said Dawn, with a blush. "But he
glares at me in the way men do, and when I mention anything I like or
want, he wants to get it for me, and all that sort of business."

"Perhaps he's falling in love unawares. Young men are often stupid,
and do not recognise their distemper till it is very ripe. He ought to
be removed from danger."

"Well, if I ever had a lover, and he liked another girl better, I'd be
pretty sure he hadn't cared for me, and would not want him any more,"
she said off-handedly.

"But would it not be better to let him go away and be happy with the
maid who loves him than to spoil his life