form of refusal, 'I love
you as a brother.' The sisters are only allowed to require the attention
of the Brothers for a stated number of nights a week, and the work is
well paid. On the other hand, the sisters escape all the duties they
generally have to perform for their real brothers, such as practising
accompaniments, mending, shopping, or running messages.

[Illustration: "MENDING."]

"Brothers are engaged by the week; but I always recommend that the same
Brother should not be retained for more than a month, as too long a
service makes them--like old family servants--presume, and fancy
themselves invaluable."

"And how do you manage about characters?" I here enquired.

"I never," she said, "consent to act as agent for any man I have not
seen, or to procure a Brother for any girl I have not talked to; and I
study their characters so as to know how any arrangement is likely to
answer. We often have photographs of Brothers ready for engagement--in
fact, those who keep their names permanently on the books usually supply
us with cabinet pictures for reference, and I arrange for interviews as
between mistresses and servants."

"And what terms are generally asked by the Brothers?" I said.

"These, of course," she replied, "depend largely on the nature of the
situation, and the qualifications of the Brother. Vulgar or
disagreeable girls have to pay very heavily. Families with several girls
are charged more in proportion, as many men object to go where other
Brothers are kept. Some men are willing to go as joint Brother to a
family of girls, but this rarely works well.

"They are paid so much a week, and their theatre money if they have to
escort the lady to the play (like beer money, you know). One man
required his buttonhole bouquets, but I said he was clearly above his
place. We do not arrange any engagements for the summer vacation, as we
have found it too dangerous. I really think," she added thoughtfully,
"that the best way of explaining our methods to you would be to show
some entries in our books."

"I should be deeply interested," I answered, stifling my eagerness, "and
it would be very kind of you."

She drew a great ledger towards her, and showed me one or two entries.
The first ran as follows:

"'A Brother, six feet high; dresses well; aristocratic manners; a good
dancer, and knows all the newest steps, including the Pas de Quatre;
obliging, and good-tempered; a teetotaller, and only smokes the best