re so
careless as to go out without umbrellas."

Elizabeth was betrayed into a laugh --a genuine hearty laugh of
surprise, in which her awkwardness was for a moment forgotten.

"How came you to bring one, such a day?"

"I thought the sun was going to shine."

"But seriously, Mr. Landholm, my question," -- said Elizabeth.

"What was it?"

"How ought I to enjoy so much more than she has?"

"Modestly, I should think."

"What do you mean?"

"If you were to give the half of your fortune to one such, for
instance," he said with a slight smile, "do you fancy you
would have adjusted two scales of the social balance to hang
even?"

"No," said Elizabeth, -- "I suppose not."

"You would have given away what she could not keep; you would
have put out of your power what would not be in hers; and on
the whole, she would be scantly a gainer and the world would
be a loser."

"Yet surely," said Elizabeth, "something is due from my hand
to hers."

Her companion was quite silent, rather oddly, she thought; and
her meditations came back for a moment from social to
individual distinctions and differences. Then, really in a
puzzle as to the former matter, she repeated her question.

"But what can one do to them, then, Mr. Winthrop? -- or what
should be one's aim?"

"Put them in the way of exercising the talent and industry and
circumstance which have done such great things for us."

"So that by the time they have the means they will be ready
for them? -- But dear me! that is a difficult matter!" said
Elizabeth.

Her companion smiled a little.

"But they haven't any talent, Mr. Landholm, -- nor industry nor
circumstance either. To be sure those latter wants might be
made up."

"Most people have talent, of one sort or another," said
Winthrop. "There's a little specimen pretty well stocked."

"Do you think so?"

"Try her."

"I don't know how to try her!" said Elizabeth. "I wish you
would."

"I don't know how, either," said Winthrop. "Circumstances have
been doing it this some time."

"I wish she hadn't come in," said Elizabeth. "She has
unsettled all my ideas."

"They will rest the better for being unsettled."

Elizabeth looked at him, but he did not acknowledge the look.
Presently, whether to try how benevolence worked, or to run
away from her feeling of awkwardness, she got up and moved a
few steps towards the place where the little blackey sat.

"Have you had dinner enough?" she said, standing and lo