philosopher has said that happiness is the free exercise of the higher
faculties of a man's nature. If that is your instinct, pursue it. Of
course we have no right to claim our happiness at the expense of others.
But your father is safe for the present. No matter what your talent, you
will not know enough, nor have had sufficient bare practice with your
pen, to write even a short story of first-rate merit for ten years to
come. You may count it a blessing that various causes are preventing you
from rushing into print. At the end of that period your father will be
ten years older. He will probably be much softened and will look at
things differently; or he may be dead. Or you may be--and most likely
will be--married. You need only concern yourself with the present. It is
possible that you have discovered your only chance of happiness. Do not
commit the incredible folly of strangling that chance before it is born.
This is not my day for lecturing, but I am going to take your conscience
in hand. It needs training. Before you know it, you will be morbid. That
means brain rot, and no chance of the commonest sort of enjoyment."

"You are very good; no one has ever been so good. You ought to know far
better than I what is right and what is wrong."

"I am afraid I do. Promise me this: that you will do nothing decisive
until the end of the summer. Take that time to think it over. There will
be little time to write in any case. I shall monopolise a good deal of
your time, and I fancy they intend to be rather gay here. Six months
from now we will talk it over again. Will you agree to that?"

"I must think it over. My mind is a slow one. But I think you are
right."

And several days later, when he was dining at the house, she told him
briefly that she should take his advice and write no more until the
summer was over.

XXVI

Mrs. Yorba, who did not like to have her plans made for her, decided to
give the party on the evening of Saturday week. The floor was to be
canvased, and three musicians were engaged. She promised the girls that
after this initial party they should dance informally at Fair Oaks as
often as they wished.

It was some time before Magdalena rode alone with Trennahan again. The
other girls rode every morning and claimed him. Magdalena joined these
parties as soon as her habit was finished, and met him every afternoon
at one or other of the new tennis courts, which consisted merely of
chalked lines a