out to knock at Mrs. Harrington's door, when I saw James coming
down the corridor, evidently going there, too. I turned away and went
into the salon. I did not wish even to exchange a word with him then.

"It might have been half an hour after, when Lucy Eaton tapped at the
door and opened it before I could speak.

"'I knew you were here alone,' she said, 'may I come in?'

"How pretty she looked, standing there in her dress of thin blue muslin,
her golden hair falling about that lovely face which, probably, had
never in her whole life been disturbed by a single thought or fancy that
could cause pain to another.

"'So the General has gone to Cadiz,' she said, as she came into the room
and flung herself in a graceful attitude on the sofa near me. 'How lost
dear Mrs. Harrington will be;--we must all try to console her.'

"I was so unreasonable and bad tempered that I fear my first impulse was
to ask her what possible right she could have to offer the lady
consolation; but I managed to keep back that little ebullition of
temper, and answered, instead--

"'He will only be gone a few days; Mrs. Harrington will not have a great
deal of time to be lonely.'

"'And then she has you with her, and I can't fancy anybody feeling
solitary, dear Miss Crawford, while they can have your society.'

"'Dear Miss Crawford,' was in no mood to accept compliments
patiently--they would have had a false ring to my ear at that moment,
coming even from those whom I knew well and loved, so they were not
likely to be accepted with good grace from this comparative stranger. I
suppose she would have thought me unkind for considering her so, but I
never found it easy to get up the girlish enthusiasm necessary for
cementing sudden and violent friendship.

"'That is a very pretty speech,' I said bluntly, 'but it doesn't mean
anything at all.'

"Lucy dropped her tiny hands and went off into a peal of laughter that,
I must confess, was sweet as a chime of silver bells.

"'You do say the oddest things!' she exclaimed. 'I never knew any one so
original as you are, but dear Miss Crawford, though I like it
exceedingly myself, do you think--'

"She hesitated, and as I saw she never would finish her sentence unless
I asked the desired question, I inquired--

"'Do I think what, Miss Eaton?'

"'That--that gentlemen quite like it. Young girls have to be so
particular, you know, or they displease them.'

"'Really,' I said, 'I have never taken the tr