arndyce and
Jarndyce. We had never mentioned it to Artie, but Flora, after a few
reluctant words from Aubrey, persuaded Artie, in the easiest way
imaginable, to tell her everything about it, from its inception. She
told me she had even read half a dozen of her uncle's law-books, which
bore upon the knotty points Artie had described to her. Instead of
arousing his suspicions of mercenary motives, her innocent manner and
flowerlike face deceived him into believing that her interest was very
commendable. She explained that she had always wanted to study law,
but that her father wouldn't let her, so that she always coaxed her
friends to describe their law-suits to her, and then she read up on
them by herself. Artie thought this was wonderful. So it was.

Cary would never listen to a word about it, nor read about it in the
papers; nor could she be inveigled into expressing an opinion about it
one way or the other. Her pride revolted from appearing even to know
that he had such prospects, faint and distant though they were.

When Flora came, Mary put on her spectacles before she opened the door.
I noticed the look she gave all three of us. It did not speak well for
Flora.

But, at first, her shyness and modesty left nothing to be desired. Her
clothes were simple even to plainness, her voice soft and deprecating,
and her manner deferential in the extreme. She was always asking
advice, and where that advice was given, she always followed it.
Flattery could go no further.

Artie came to see her, morning, noon, and night. I was horrified to
discover how far things seemed to have progressed, for, after all, it
was Cary who _must_ have Artie if she wanted him.

Cary called on Flora once, and we returned it, but she did not come
again. So I resolved on a dinner, and Cary promised to come. The
others were to be the Jimmies, Bee, and three more persons so
insignificant, so vapid, so entirely not worth describing that, in a
race, they would not even be mentioned as "also rans." In short, they
were the typical dinner-guests the hostess always fills in with.

I worked hard on that dinner. Flora offered to help, but Mary, without
actually refusing her assistance, managed to do without it, and I did
not realize until afterward how quickly Flora accepted her fate, and
curled herself up luxuriously on Aubrey's couch in Aubrey's particular
corner to read, while I bleached the almonds which she had offered to
do.

Flora