reme. I am unacquainted
with odious necessities. I object to nothing!"

Angela Vivian looked about her as he had done--looked perhaps a moment
longer at the summer stars; and if she had not already proved herself a
young lady of a contradictory turn, it might have been supposed she was
just then tacitly admitting the charm of life to be considerable.

"Do you suppose Miss Evers often resigns herself to being
disagreeable--for a purpose?" asked Longueville, who had glanced at
Captain Lovelock's companion again.

"She can't be disagreeable; she is too gentle, too soft."

"Do you mean too silly?"

"I don't know that I call her silly. She is not very wise; but she has
no pretensions--absolutely none--so that one is not struck with anything
incongruous."

"What a terrible description! I suppose one ought to have a few
pretensions."

"You see one comes off more easily without them," said Miss Vivian.

"Do you call that coming off easily?"

She looked at him a moment gravely.

"I am very fond of Blanche," she said.

"Captain Lovelock is rather fond of her," Bernard went on.

The girl assented.

"He is completely fascinated--he is very much in love with her."

"And do they mean to make an international match?"

"I hope not; my mother and I are greatly troubled."

"Is n't he a good fellow?"

"He is a good fellow; but he is a mere trifler. He has n't a penny, I
believe, and he has very expensive habits. He gambles a great deal. We
don't know what to do."

"You should send for the young lady's mother."

"We have written to her pressingly. She answers that Blanche can take
care of herself, and that she must stay at Marienbad to finish her cure.
She has just begun a new one."

"Ah well," said Bernard, "doubtless Blanche can take care of herself."

For a moment his companion said nothing; then she exclaimed--

"It 's what a girl ought to be able to do!"

"I am sure you are!" said Bernard.

She met his eyes, and she was going to make some rejoinder; but before
she had time to speak, her mother's little, clear, conciliatory voice
interposed. Mrs. Vivian appealed to her daughter, as she had done the
night before.

"Dear Angela, what was the name of the gentleman who delivered that
delightful course of lectures that we heard in Geneva, on--what was the
title?--'The Redeeming Features of the Pagan Morality.'"

Angela flushed a little.

"I have quite forgotten his name, mamma," she said, without looking