er
fashion, they are not obliged. What is there to respect in persons of
this sort? Yet they are highly esteemed, and form three quarters of
Society. The rule with these good gentlemen is to shut their eyes, never
use their thinking powers, and close the door on all the dogs of life for
fear they should get bitten.

Shelton paused, conscious of Antonia's eyes fixed on him with the
inquiring look that he had come to dread. In that chilly questioning she
seemed to say: "I am waiting. I am prepared to be told things--that is,
useful things--things that help one to believe without the risk of too
much thinking."

"It's from that young foreigner," he said; and went on reading to
himself.

I have eyes, and here I am; I have a nose 'pour, flairer le humbug'. I
see that amongst the value of things nothing is the equal of "free
thought." Everything else they can take from me, 'on ne pent pas m'oter
cela'! I see no future for me here, and certainly should have departed
long ago if I had had the money, but, as I have already told you, all
that I can do barely suffices to procure me 'de quoi vivre'. 'Je me sens
ecceuye'. Do not pay too much attention to my Jeremiads; you know what a
pessimist I am. 'Je ne perds pas courage'.

Hoping that you are well, and in the cordial pressing of your hand, I
subscribe myself,

Your very devoted

LOUIS FERRAND.

He rode with the letter open in his hand, frowning at the curious turmoil
which Ferrand excited in his heart. It was as though this foreign
vagrant twanged within him a neglected string, which gave forth moans of
a mutiny.

"What does he say?" Antonia asked.

Should he show it to her? If he might not, what should he do when they
were married?

"I don't quite know," he said at last; "it 's not particularly
cheering."'

"What is he like, Dick--I mean, to look at? Like a gentleman, or what?"

Shelton stifled a desire to laugh.

"He looks very well in a frock-coat," he replied; "his father was a wine
merchant."

Antonia flicked her whip against her skirt.

"Of course," she murmured, "I don't want to hear if there's anything I
ought not."

But instead of soothing Shelton, these words had just the opposite
effect. His conception of the ideal wife was not that of one from whom
the half of life must be excluded.

"It's only," he stammered again, "that it's not cheerful."

"Oh, all right!" she cried, and, tou