n. That's what I mean by our being
friends.'

Her companion sat looking at her with a gloomy stare, as if he were
trying to make up the deficiencies in her logic.

'After Tishy is married? I don't see what that has to do with it. Tishy
is little more than a baby; she may not be married for ten years.'

'That is very true.'

'And you dispose of the interval by a simple "meanwhile"? My dear Dora,
your talk is strange,' Raymond continued, with his voice passionately
lowered. 'And I may come to the house--often? How often do you mean--in
ten years? Five times--or even twenty?' He saw that her eyes were
filling with tears, but he went on: 'It has been coming over me little
by little (I notice things very much if I have a reason), and now I
think I understand your mother's system.'

'Don't say anything against my mother,' the girl broke in, beseechingly.

'I shall not say anything unjust. That is if I am unjust you must tell
me. This is my idea, and your speaking of Tishy's marriage confirms it.
To begin with she has had immense plans for you all; she wanted each of
you to be a princess or a duchess--I mean a good one. But she has had to
give _you_ up.'

'No one has asked for me,' said Dora, with unexpected honesty.

'I don't believe it. Dozens of fellows have asked for you, and you have
shaken your head in that divine way (divine for me, I mean) in which you
shook it the other night.'

'My mother has never said an unkind word to me in her life,' the girl
declared, in answer to this.

'I never said she had, and I don't know why you take the precaution of
telling me so. But whatever you tell me or don't tell me,' Raymond
pursued, 'there is one thing I see very well--that so long as you won't
marry a duke Cousin Maria has found means to prevent you from marrying
till your sisters have made rare alliances.'

'Has found means?' Dora repeated, as if she really wondered what was in
his thought.

'Of course I mean only through your affection for her. How she works
that, you know best yourself.'

'It's delightful to have a mother of whom every one is so fond,' said
Dora, smiling.

'She is a most remarkable woman. Don't think for a moment that I don't
appreciate her. You don't want to quarrel with her, and I daresay you
are right.'

'Why, Raymond, of course I'm right!'

'It proves you are not madly in love with me. It seems to me that for
you _I_ would have quarrelled----'

'Raymond, Raymond!' she interrupted, w