t," said Dorothy, "at least they don't attract me."

Mrs. West looked pained but said nothing.

"You see," continued Dorothy, "there are such a lot of good men about,
and honourable men, and--and--they're so dreadfully dull and
monotonous. I couldn't marry that sort of man," she added with
conviction.

"But----" began Mrs. West. "You wouldn't----"

Then she paused.

"I can't explain it, mother," she said, "but I should hate to be doing
the same thing always."

"But we are doing the same things always, Dorothy," said Mrs. West.

"Oh! no we're not," protested Dorothy. "I never know until I get home
on Saturday where I'm going to take you. Now if I had a husband, a
good and honourable husband, he would begin about Thursday saying that
on Saturday afternoon we would go to Hampstead, or to Richmond, or
to--oh! anywhere. Then when Saturday came I should hate the very name
of the place he had chosen. Then on Sunday we should go to church in
the morning, for a walk in the afternoon, pay a call or two, then
church or a cinema in the evening. That's good and honourable married
life," she concluded with decision.

Mrs. West looked down with a puzzled expression on her face.

"Wait a minute, mother," said Dorothy. "Now we'll imagine the real me
married to a good and honourable man. At twelve-thirty on the Saturday
that he has arranged to lose himself and me at the maze at Hampton
Court, I telephone to say that we're going to Brighton, and that he's
to meet me at Victoria at half-past one, and I'll bring his things.
Now what do you think he'd do?" With head on one side she gazed
challengingly at her mother.

"I--I don't know," faltered Mrs. West.

"I do," said Dorothy with conviction. "He'd have a fit. Then if I
wanted him to come for a 'bus ride just as he was going to bed," went
on Dorothy, "he'd have another fit; and if one fine morning, just as he
was off to the office, I were to ask him not to go, but to take me to
Richmond instead, he'd have a third fit, and then I should be a widow."

"A widow!" questioned Mrs. West. "What are you talking about?"

"Third fits are always fatal, mother," she said wisely. Then with a
laugh she added, "Oh, there's a great time in store for the man who
marries Dorothy West. He will have to have a strong heart, a robust
constitution and above all any amount of stamina," and she gave a
mischievous little chuckle of joy. Then a moment after, looking
gravely at her moth