irations and longings. Do you never long for abstract beauty?"

"Well, no, not long. If I can't get what I want pretty quick I
generally go for something else."

This irrelevant conversation was vastly entertaining to Jack, who,
knowing how unlike were the dispositions of his brother and his wife's
cousin, had contrived their meeting with special reference to his own
amusement. When the clock told the hour for retiring he brought Bessie
a tin candlestick, in which a tallow candle smoked and spluttered in a
feeble way, but filled the soul of the young lady with admiration, it
was so "full of feeling."

"Life is so much richer when our environment is illuminated and
glorified--"

"By tapers," said Jack as he bade her an affectionate good-night.

CHAPTER X.

MORE QUESTIONS OF FIRE AND WATER.

"We must devote this evening exclusively to the new house," said Jill,
as Jack started for his office. "The architect is waiting for
instructions, and every day we lose now will give us another day of
vexation and impatience when we are waiting for the house to be
finished."

"That's true, and it's a chronological fact that house-builders often
forget. Very well, I'll come home early. Will Bessie be here?"

"Certainly. She has come for a long visit."

"Then I shall bring up Jim again. One-half Bess says he can't
understand, and he doesn't approve of the other half; but we couldn't
keep him away if we tried. So we'll invite him to come. It's great fun
to hear Bessie's comments and witness Jim's helplessness."

"If you are going to devote yourself to Jim and Bessie," said Jill
severely, "I may as well answer these questions without consulting you
at all."

"Oh, pray don't do that. Give me a chance to express my opinions. Some
of them are strikingly bold and original. Besides, you will need me to
conduct the meeting."

It happened, accidentally of course, that Bessie's evening dress was of
a color that looked well by gaslight, and no objection was made to the
unnatural illumination.

Jill took up the architect's letter, where she had left it, at the
conclusion of the blind question. "Another point that was mentioned
when I was at your father's house must be decided soon: Shall there be
gutters to catch the water from the roof, with pipes of some sort to
convey it to the ground, or shall it be left to take care of itself? If
there are none, the ground around the house should pitch sharply away
from the walls and