he looked up in her face, for she was standing a moment, while he
sat.

"Isn't that a pathetic strain?" he inquired, listening.

"Oh, very," she returned, also catching it, now that her attention was
called.

"Sit down," he added, offering her the chair beside him.

They listened a few moments in silence, touched by the same feeling,
only hers reached her through the heart. Music still charmed her as in
the old days.

"I don't know what it is about music," she started to say, moved by the
inexplicable longings which surged within her; "but it always makes me
feel as if I wanted something--I----"

"Yes," he replied; "I know how you feel."

Suddenly he turned to considering the peculiarity of her disposition,
expressing her feelings so frankly.

"You ought not to be melancholy," he said.

He thought a while, and then went off into a seemingly alien observation
which, however, accorded with their feelings.

"The world is full of desirable situations, but, unfortunately, we can
occupy but one at a time. It doesn't do us any good to wring our hands
over the far-off things."

The music ceased and he arose, taking a standing position before her, as
if to rest himself.

"Why don't you get into some good, strong comedy-drama?" he said. He was
looking directly at her now, studying her face. Her large, sympathetic
eyes and pain-touched mouth appealed to him as proofs of his judgment.

"Perhaps I shall," she returned.

"That's your field," he added.

"Do you think so?"

"Yes," he said; "I do. I don't suppose you're aware of it, but there
is something about your eyes and mouth which fits you for that sort of
work."

Carrie thrilled to be taken so seriously. For the moment, loneliness
deserted her. Here was praise which was keen and analytical.

"It's in your eyes and mouth," he went on abstractedly. "I remember
thinking, the first time I saw you, that there was something peculiar
about your mouth. I thought you were about to cry."

"How odd," said Carrie, warm with delight. This was what her heart
craved.

"Then I noticed that that was your natural look, and to-night I saw it
again. There's a shadow about your eyes, too, which gives your face much
this same character. It's in the depth of them, I think."

Carrie looked straight into his face, wholly aroused.

"You probably are not aware of it," he added.

She looked away, pleased that he should speak thus, longing to be equal
to this feeling written up