t long; that sort of fascination never does."

There was another long pause. The band had finished the _Stella
Confidente_, and ran on without stopping to the performance of the
drinking chorus in the _Traviata_. Hermione twisted her fingers
together, and bit her lips. Her father's opinion of Alexander was a
revelation to her, but it carried weight with it, and it aroused a whole
train of recollections in her mind, culminating in the accident of the
afternoon. She remembered vividly what she had felt during those long
minutes before Alexander had recovered consciousness, and she knew that
her feelings bore not the slightest relation to love. She had been
terrified, and had blamed herself, and had thought of his mother; but
the idea that he might be dead had not hurt her as it would have done
had she loved him. She had felt no wild grief, no awful sense of
blankness; the tears which had risen to her eyes had been tears of pity,
of genuine sorrow, but not of despair. She tried to think what she would
have felt had she seen Paul lying dead before her, and the mere idea
sent a sharp thrust through her heart that almost frightened her.

"Well, my dear," said John, at last, "can you give me an answer? Do you
mean to marry Paul or Alexander, or neither?"

"Not Alexander,--oh, never!" exclaimed Hermione. "I never thought of
such a thing."

"Paul, then?"

"Papa, dear," said the young girl, after a moment's hesitation, "I will
tell you all about it. When Paul came, I firmly intended to marry him.
Then I began to know Alexander--and--well, I was very wrong, but he
began to make pretty phrases, and to talk of loving me. Of course I told
him he was very foolish, and I laughed at him. But he only went on, and
said a great deal more, in spite of me. Then I thought that because I
could not stop him I was interested in him. Paul wanted to speak to you,
but I would not let him. I did not feel that my conscience was quite
clear. I was not sure that I should always love him. Do you see? I think
I love him, really, but Alexander interests me."

"But you never for a moment thought of marrying Alexander? You said so
just now."

"Oh, never! I laughed at him, and he amused me,--nothing more than
that."

"Then I don't quite see"--began John Carvel, who was rather puzzled by
the explanation.

"Of course not. You are a man,--how can you understand? I will promise
you this, papa: if I cannot make up my mind in a week, I will tell Paul
s