ssed, and she said, softly, as she still lingered, "Well, I'm
not an athlete. I should value more a man's strong arm than strength
of my own."

"You know that the arm of one man is ever at your service."

"'Ever' implies more patience than any man possesses."

"I should think so; yet you will find me reasonably patient."

"Everything is a matter of reason with men."

"Our reason assures us that certain things are a matter of the heart
with women. Therefore we hope."

"Men are much too exacting. They reason a thing out and make up their
minds. If they base any hopes on women's hearts, they should remember
what unreasoning organs they are--full of hesitations, doubts, absurd
fears, and more absurd confidence at times. Have you ever seen a bird
hovering in the air, not knowing where to alight? Give it time, and
it makes its selection and swiftly follows its choice. No good
hunter rushes at it in the hope of capturing it during the moment of
indecision."

"Indeed, Miss Wildmere, if I understand your little parable, I think
Mr. Arnault errs egregiously, yet he does not frighten the bird into a
very distant flight."

"You do not know how distant it is."

"No; I only see that he goes straight for the bird the moment he sees
her."

"He might have found a more considerate policy wiser." Then she added,
gravely, with a little reproach in her voice: "Mr. Arnault is an old
friend and a friend of papa's, whom he often favors in business. I
think my manner toward you should prove that I am not inclined to be
disloyal toward old friends. You have just defended Miss Alden against
a little feminine spite on my part. That was nice. In the same way
I defend Mr. Arnault, whom, for reasons equally absurd, you do not
altogether like. I'm only a woman, you know, and a little spite is one
of our prerogatives. After all, it doesn't amount to anything. I would
do as much for Miss Alden as for any one in the house." (Quite true,
which was nothing.) "You know how girls are."

"Certainly, especially when both are reigning belles."

"The men are always the rulers sooner or later; and I shall give
my allegiance to those gentlemen friends who are the least like
myself--tolerant, patient, you know. Mr. Arnault is coming to-night to
spend the Fourth. I must give him more or less of my time--I should be
ungrateful if I did not--but I don't wish you to feel toward me or him
as I should toward you and Miss Alden if I saw that you were togeth