"Eh?" (with wide-opened eyes, and
superb arching of the brows.)

"I beg pardon—laughing at me."

"How can you think so, Mr. Plew?"

"Oh, I know. But you are privileged,
of course."

"Am I?"

"I mean young ladies in general are
privileged to say what they please. I'm
sure, now, that you don't really care about
my flute playing. You would not like to
hear it."

"But it is papa and Miss Desmond
whom you play for. If they are satisfied,
all is well. I don't pretend to be a
virtuosa. And I will say this for your
flute, Mr. Plew; it is very unobtrusive."

The sparkle of raillery in her eyes, the
saucy smile on her lip, the half disdainful
grace of her attitude, appeared to entrance
the little surgeon. His eyes blinked as he
looked at her. There was no revolt in his
meek soul against the scarcely disguised
insolence of her manner.

The vicar was a man of fine breeding.
His daughter's behaviour to-night jarred
on his taste. Mr. Levincourt did not
usually trouble himself to observe, still less
to correct, such shortcomings. But his
interview with Sir John Gale had awakened
old associations. He was conscious of the
impression which his own polished address
had made on his guest.

When Mr. Plew had departed, the vicar
said, in a tone more of complaint than
rebuke, "You should not tease that mild
little man, Veronica. He does not under-
stand raillery, and will either presume on
it to become familiar, or else suffer from
wounded feeling. Neither alternative is to
be desired."

"Papa mio, he likes it!"

"But I do not. Besides, it is of you
that I am thinking. Flippancy in a
woman is, of all things, the most detestable.
Not to speak of the matter on
higher grounds" (the vicar habitually
avoided all appeal to " higher grounds " in
his non-professional moments); "it is
utterly in bad taste—mauvais genre."

Veronica flushed high with anger, for her
amour propre was stung; but by the time
that she and Maud retired for the night,
the cloud of temper had dispersed.
Veronica came into Maud's room, and began
chatting gaily about Mrs. Sheardown's
dinner party.

"Maud," said she, "Maud, I have
decided on amber—a good rich amber,
you know. I shall wear an amber satin
sash with my white dress, and a streak of
the same colour—just a band of it—in my
hair."

"Very well."

"Very well? Are you in one of your
frozen moods, Maud Hilda Desmond? If
so, thaw as quickly as may be; I want
to talk to you."

Maud wrapped a white dressing-gown
around her, seated herself by the fire, and
proceeded to loosen her straight silky hair
from its plaits.

After a pause she said, " I do not wish
to be frozen, Veronica; but your sudden
changes of temperature are fatiguing.
Just now, you were like a brooding thunder
cloud. At present, all is sunshine and blue
sky. Do you suppose you are likely always
to find persons able and willing to follow
these capricious variations?"

Veronica took this speech very meekly.
"I can't help it, Maudie," said she.

"Yes, you can; you can command
yourself when there is a sufficient object in
view. You don't exhibit these vagaries in
the presence of people whom you desire to
charm."

"I wonder why I let you talk so to me!
I am your elder by two years, you little
solemn white owl!"

Maud quietly released the last coil of her
hair from its bonds, and said nothing.
Suddenly Veronica knelt down by her
companion's side and clasped her arms
round her waist. So she remained, still
and silent for some minutes. Then she
slid down into her favourite posture on the
rug, and exclaimed, without looking up: "I
wish I could be good like you, Maud!"

"Nonsense! Good like me? I am not
very good. But we can all be better if we
try hard."

"I cannot. No; I cannot. I—I—want
so many things that good people despise—
or pretend to despise."

"What things?"

"O, I don't know, all sorts of things.
Is there nothing you want?"

"Plenty of things I should like. But I
don't see how wanting things should
prevent your being good."

"But I want vain, wicked, worldly,
things, Maudie!"

"And do you think vain, wicked, worldly,
things would make you happy?"

"Yes, I do. There! Don't look so scared
and open your eyes so wide, white owl.
That's the truth. You always advocate
speaking the truth, you know. Good-
night."