h money? I think they are both so silly. If
they had been beaten, they would have lost all their practical ideas
and troubles, merely forgot them, and been happy enough. I am a
woman who says it. Such ideas they have are not tragical. No, not at
all. They are nonsense, you see, nonsense. That is all. Nonsense.
Sue and Anna, they are--non-sensical. That is all. No tragedy
whatsoever. Nonsense. I am a woman. I know men also. And I know
nonsense when I see it. Englishwomen are all nonsense: the worst
women in the world for nonsense."

"Well, I am English," said Alvina.

"Yes, my dear, you are English. But you are not necessarily so
non-sensical. Why are you at all?"

"Nonsensical?" laughed Alvina. "But I don't know what you call my
nonsense."

"Ah," said Madame wearily. "They never understand. But I like you,
my dear. I am an old woman--"

"Younger than I," said Alvina.

"Younger than you, because I am practical from the heart, and not
only from the head. You are not practical from the heart. And yet
you have a heart."

"But all Englishwomen have good hearts," protested Alvina.

"No! No!" objected Madame. "They are all ve-ry kind, and ve-ry
practical with their kindness. But they have no heart in all their
kindness. It is all head, all head: the kindness of the head."

"I can't agree with you," said Alvina.

"No. No. I don't expect it. But I don't mind. You are very kind to
me, and I thank you. But it is from the head, you see. And so I
thank you from the head. From the heart--no."

Madame plucked her white fingers together and laid them on her
breast with a gesture of repudiation. Her black eyes stared
spitefully.

"But Madame," said Alvina, nettled, "I should never be half such a
good business woman as you. Isn't that from the head?"

"Ha! of course! Of course you wouldn't be a good business woman.
Because you are kind from the head. I--" she tapped her forehead and
shook her head--"I am not kind from the head. From the head I am
business-woman, good business-woman. Of course I am a good
business-woman--of course! But--" here she changed her expression,
widened her eyes, and laid her hand on her breast--"when the heart
speaks--then I listen with the heart. I do not listen with the head.
The heart hears the heart. The head--that is another thing. But you
have blue eyes, you cannot understand. Only dark eyes--" She paused
and mused.

"And what about yellow eyes?" asked Alvina, laughing.

Madame darted