cians?"

"Not especially. They have their tendencies, which are decidedly
liberal. There has never been a Tory Palliser known, you know. But
they are too clever to give themselves up to anything in which they
can do nothing. Being women they live a depressed life, devoting
themselves to literature, fine arts, social economy, and the
abstract sciences. They write wonderful letters; but I believe their
correspondence lists are quite full, so that you have no chance at
present of getting on either of them."

"I haven't the slightest pretension to ask for such an honour."

"Oh! if you mean because you don't know them, that has nothing to do
with it."

"But I have no claim either private or public."

"That has nothing to do with it either. They don't at all seek people
of note as their correspondents. Free communication with all the
world is their motto, and Rowland Hill is the god they worship.
Only they have been forced to guard themselves against too great an
accession of paper and ink. Are you fond of writing letters, Miss
Vavasor?"

"Yes, to my friends; but I like getting them better."

"I shrewdly suspect they don't read half what they get. Is it
possible any one should go through two sheets of paper filled by our
friend the Duchess there? No; their delight is in writing. They sit
each at her desk after breakfast, and go on till lunch. There is a
little rivalry between them, not expressed to each other, but visible
to their friends. Iphy certainly does get off the greater number,
and I'm told crosses quite as often as Phemy, but then she has the
advantage of a bolder and larger hand."

"Do they write to you?"

"Oh, dear no. I don't think they ever write to any relative. They
don't discuss family affairs and such topics as that. Architecture
goes a long way with them, and whether women ought to be clerks in
public offices. Iphy has certain American correspondents that take
up much of her time, but she acknowledges she does not read their
letters."

"Then I certainly shall not write to her."

"But you are not American, I hope. I do hate the Americans. It's the
only strong political feeling I have. I went there once, and found I
couldn't live with them on any terms."

"But they please themselves. I don't see they are to be hated because
they don't live after our fashion."

"Oh; it's jealousy of course. I know that. I didn't come across a
cab-driver who wasn't a much better educated man than I am. And as