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cloud。〃



As　she　turned　she　was　intercepted　by　Stanton；　who　said：



〃Miss　Burton；　let　my　present　to　you　my　cousin；　Miss　Mayhew。〃



A　ray　from　a　parlor　lamp　fell　upon　Ida's　face；　and　Van　Berg　saw　at

once　that　it　was　clouded　and　unamiable　in　its　expression。　　Stanton

had　evidently　been　reproaching　her　severely。



Miss　Burton　held　out　her　hand　cordially　and　said；　〃I　wish　to　thank

you　for　maintaining　the　credit　of　our　sex　this　morning。　　These

superior　men　are　so　fond　of　portraying　us　as　hysterical；　clinging

creatures　whose　only　instinct　in　peril　is　to　throw　themselves　on

man's　protection；　that　I　always　feel　a　little　exultation　when　one

of　the　'weaker　and　gentler　sex；'　as　we　are　termed；　show　the　courage

and　presence　of　mind　which　they　coolly　appropriate　as　masculine

qualities。〃



〃Are　you　an　advocate　of　woman's　rights；　Miss　Burton？〃　asked　Miss

Mayhew；　stung　by　the　unconscious　sarcasm　of　the　lady's　words；　to　reply

in　almost　as　resentful　a　manner　as　if　a　wound　had　been　intended。



〃Not　of　woman's；　particularly；〃　was　the　quiet　answer；　〃I　would　be

glad　if　every　one　had　their　rights。〃



〃You　philanthropy　is　very　wide；　certainly。〃



〃And　therefore　very　thin；　perhaps　you　think；　since　it　covers　so　much

ground。　　I　agree　with　you；　Miss　Mayhew；　that　general　good…will　is

as　cold　and　thin　as　moonshine。　　One　ray　of　sunlight　that　warms　some

particular　thing　into　life　is　worth　it　all。〃



〃Indeed！　I　think　I　prefer　moonlight。〃



〃There　are　certain　absorbing　avocations　in　life　to　which　moonshine

is　better　adapted　then　sunlight；　is　probably　the　thought　in　my

cousin's　mind；〃　said　Stanton；　satirically。



〃And　what　are　they？〃　asked　Miss　Burton。



〃Flirtation；　for　instance。〃



〃My　cousin　is　speaking　for　himself；〃　said　Ida；　acidly；　〃and　knows

better　what　is　in　his　own　mind　than　in　mine。〃



〃If　some　ladies　themselves　never　know　their　own　minds；　how　can

another　know？〃　Stanton　retorted。



〃Well；〃　said　Miss　Burton；　with　a　laugh；　〃if　we　accept　a　practical

philosophy　much　in　voguethat　of　taking　the　world　as　we　find

itflirting　is　one　of　the　commonest　pursuits　of　mankind。〃



〃I'm　quite　sure；　Miss　Burton；〃　said　Van　Berg；　〃that　your　philosophy

of　life　is　the　reverse　of　taking　the　world　as　we　find　it。〃



〃Indeed；　you　are　mistaken；　sir；　I　am　exceedingly　prosaic　in　my　views；

and　cherish　no　Utopian　dreams　and　theories。　　I　do　indeed　take　the

old　matter…of…fact　world　as　I　find　it；　and　try　to　make　the　best　of

it。〃



〃Ah；　your　last　is　a　very　saving　clause。　　Too　many　are　seemingly

trying　to　make　the　worst　of　it；　and　unfortunately　they　succeed。〃



Ida　here　shot　a　quick　and　vengeful　glance　at　the　speaker。



〃Please　do　not　present　me　as　a　general　reformer；　Mr。　Van　Berg；〃

protested　Miss　Burton；　with　a　light　laugh；　〃I　have　my　hands　full

in　mending　my　own　ways。〃



〃And　so　might　we　all；　no　doubt；〃　said　Stanton；　〃only　most　of　us

leave　our　ways　unmended。　　but　I　am　curious　to　know；　Miss　Burton；　how

you　would　make　the　best　of　a　flirtation；　since　this　is　emphatically

a　part　of　the　world　as　we　find　it；　especially　at　a　summer　hotel。〃



〃The　best　that　we　can　do　with　many　things　that　exist；〃　she　replied；

〃is　to　leave　them　alone。　　Italy　is　pre…eminently　the　land　of　garlic

and　art；　but　fortunately　we　shall　not　find　it　necessary　to　indulge

in　both　and　in　equal　proportions　when　we　are　so　happy　as　to　go

abroad。〃



〃A　great　many　people　prefer　the　garlic；〃　said　Stanton。



〃Oh；　certainly；〃　she　answered；　〃it's　a　matter　of　taste。〃



〃So　then　garlic　and　flirtation　are　corresponding　terms　in　your

vocabulary？〃



〃I　cannot　say　which　term　outranks　the　other；　but　it　seems　to　me　that

if　a　woman　regards　her　love　as　a　sacred　thing；　she　cannot　permit

an　indefinite　number　of　commonplace　people　even　to　attempt　to　stain

it　with　their　soiling　touch。〃



〃I　think　gentlemen　show　just　as　much　of　a　disposition　to　flirt　as

ladies；〃　said　Ida；　with　resentment　in　her　tone。



〃I　will　not　dispute　that　statement；〃　replied　Miss　Burton；　with　a

laugh；　〃indeed；　I'm　inclined　to　think　they　are　very　human。〃



〃Humane；　you　mean；〃　interposed　Stanton。　　〃Yes；　I　often　wonder　at

our　patient　endurance。〃



〃Which　shall　be　taxed　no　longer　to…night　by　me。　　Good…evening；　Miss

Mayhew。　　Good…evening；　patient　martyrs。〃



〃Humane；　indeed！〃　said　Stanton。　　〃Are　you　that　way　inclined；　Van？〃



〃I　have　no　occasion　to　be　otherwise。〃



〃Well；　I　feel　savage　enough　to　scalp　some　one。〃



〃So　I　should　judge；〃　remarked　Ida。



〃Perhaps　then；　as　my　mood　contrasts　somewhat　favorably　with　your

cousin's；　you　will　venture　to　walk　with　me　for　awhile？〃　said　Van

Berg。



〃Indeed；　sir；〃　she　replied；　taking　his　arm；　〃there　are　times　when

any　change　is　a　relief。〃



〃I　cannot　be　very　greatly　elated　over　that　view　of　the　case；

certainly；〃　remarked　Van　Berg；　with　a　laugh。



She　did　not　reply　at　once；　but　after　a　moment　said：　　〃I　suppose

you　regard　me　as　a　hopeless　case　at　best。〃



〃what　suggests　that　thought　to　you；　Miss　Mayhew？〃



〃You　are　not　so　dull　as　to　need　to　ask　that　question；　and　you　only

ask　it　to　draw　me　out。　　For　one　thing；　you　probably　think　that

I　instigated　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Chints　to　act　as　they　did。　　This　is　not

true。〃



〃I'm　very　glad　to　hear　it。〃



〃I'm　no　more　to　blame　than　Mr。　Burleigh　was。　　He　knew　about　it　as

well　as　I　did；　but　Mrs。　Chints　was　bound　to　carry　out　her　project。〃



〃Will　you　permit　a　suggestion？〃



〃I　suppose　you　wish　to　insinuate　that　I　acted　like　a　heathen；

instead　of　saying　that　I　am　one　plainly；　as　does　Cousin　Ik？〃



〃I　think　you　acted　a　little　thoughtlessly。　　If　Miss　Burton　had　been

in　your　place；　she　would　have　tried　to　prevent　the　disagreeable

scene。〃



〃Oh；　certainly！　she　is　perfect。〃



〃No；　she　is　kind。〃



〃Would　it　be　possible　to　speak　upon　some　agreeable　subject；　Mr。

Van　Berg？　　I　have　had　enough　mortifications　for　one　day。〃



He　was　puzzled。　　What　topic　could　he　introduce　that　would　interest

this　spoiled　and　petulant　beauty。



He　touched　on　art；　but　she　was　only　artful　in　her　small　way；　and

could　not　follow　him。　　He　tried　literature；　and　here　they　had　even

less　in　common。　　He　would　not　and　indeed　could　not　read　the　thin

society　novels　which　reflected　modes　of　life　as　trivial　as　her

own；　and　his　books　might　have　been　written　in　another　language；

so　slight　was　her　acquaintance　with　them。　　The　various　political；

social；　or　scientific　questions　of　the　day　had　never　puzzled　her

brain。　　Van　Berg　cautiously　felt　his　way　towards　his　companion's

knowledge　of　two　or　three　of　the　most　popular　of　them。　　Her　answers；

however；　were　so　superficial　and　irrelevant；　and　also　so　evidently

embarrassed；　that　he　saw　his　only　resources　to　be　society　chit…chat；

gossip　about　mutual　acquaintances；　the　latest　modes；　the　attractions

of　pleasure　resorts　in　the　city；　and　of　summer　resorts　in　the　country。

But　he　gave　his　mind　to　these　unwonted　themes；　and　labored　hard　to

be　entertaining；　for　now　that　he　had　gained　the　vantage…ground　he

sought；　he　was　determined　to　discover　whether　there　was　a　sleeping

mind　or　a　vacuum　behind　Miss　Mayhew's　shapely　forehead。　　Granting

that　there　was　a　womanly　intelligence　there；　as　yet　unquickened；

he　was　not　so　irrational　as　to　imagine　he　could　jostle　it　into

illumining　activity　in　one　short　hour；　or　day；　or　week。　　But　it

seemed　to　him　that　if　any　mind　existed　worth　the　name；　it　would

give　such　encouraging　signs　of　life　before　many　days　passed　as

would　promise　success　of　his　experiment。　　He　felt　that　his　first

aim　must　be　to　establish　an　intimacy　that　would　permit　as　full

and　frank　an　exchange　of　thought　as　was　possible　between　people　so

dissimilar。



While　he　tried　to　bring　himself　down　to　the　littleness　of　her　daily

life；　he　determined　to　show　his　disapproval　of　every　phrase　of　its

meanness　as　far　as　he　could　without　offending　her。　　He　had　made　her

feel　that　he　condemned　her　course　towards　Miss　Burton　that　evening；

and　he　had　meant　to　do　so。



She　resented　this　disapproval；　and　at　the　same　time　respected　him

for　it。　　Indeed　he　puzzled　her。　　He　evidently　sought　and　wished

for　her　society；　and　yet　as　they　walked　back　and　forth；　even　though

she　did　not　look　at　him　when　the　light　gave　her　the　opportunity

to　do　so；　she　felt　intuitively　that　he　did　not　enjoy　her　company。

She　saw　that　he　was　laboring　hard　to　make　himself　agreeable；　but

his　small　talk　had　not　the　familiar　flippancy　and　fluency　of　one

speaking　in　his　native　tongue；　nor　was　his　manner　that　of　one　who；

infatuated　with　her　beauty；　had　thrown　aside　all　other　considerations。



She　felt　that　the　man　at　her　side　measured　her；　and　understood　her

littleness　thoroughly。



And　she　herself　had　a　growing　consciousness　of　insignificance　that

was　as　painful　as　it　was　novel。　　Adding　to　all　the　humiliations

of　this　day　here　was　a　man；　not　so　very　much　older　than　herself；

trying　to　come　down　to　her　level；　as　he　would　accommodate　his

language　to