roused in all its narrow strength. She was
like some silent, vengeful beast waiting a chance to spring.

And so the evening wore away. Sir Patrick drew Josiah into the
bridge-room, and made him join one of the tables where they were waiting
for a fourth--Josiah, who was a very bad player, and did not really care
for cards! But luck favored him, and the woman opposite restrained the
irritable things she had ready to say to him when she first perceived
how he played his hand.

And all the while Hector sat by Theodora, and learned more and more of
her fair, clear mind. All the thoughts she had upon every subject he
found were just and quaint and in some way illuminating. It was her
natural sweetness of nature which made the great charm--that quality
which Mrs. McBride had remarked upon, and which every one felt sooner or
later.

Nothing of the ascetic saint or goody _poseuse_. She did not walk about
with a book of poems under her arm, and wear floppy clothes and talk
about her own and other people's souls. She was just human and true and
attractive.

Theodora had perhaps no religion at all from the orthodox point of view;
but had she been a Mohommedan or a Confucian or a Buddhist, she would
still have been Theodora, full of gentleness and goodness and grace.

The entire absence of vanity and self-consciousness in her prevented her
from feeling hurt or ruffled even with these ill-mannered women. She
thought them rude and unpleasant, but they could not really hurt her
except by humiliating Josiah. Her generosity instantly fired at that.

Both she and Hector perceived that Morella and Lord Wensleydown sat
there watching them for no other reason but to disconcert and tease
them, and it roused a spirit of resistance in both. While this was going
on they would not move.

And Hector employed the whole of his self-control to keep himself from
making actual love to her, and they talked of many things, and she
understood and was grateful.

Presently, apparently, Morella could stand it no longer, for she rose
rather abruptly and said to Lord Wensleydown:

"Come, let us play bridge."

They went on into the other room, and Theodora and Lord Bracondale were
left quite alone.

"I should like to find Josiah," said Theodora. "Shall we not go, too?"

And they also followed upon the others' heels. Lady Ada happened to be
out at her table, and some tardy sense of her duties as a hostess came
to her, for she crossed over to whe