aid she, poutingly.

"Why, you were the best friends in the world till a few days back!"

"You men can understand nothing of these things. You neither know the
nice conditions nor the delicate reserves of young lady friendships;
nor have you the slightest conception of how boundless we can be in
admiration of each other in the imagined consciousness of something
very superior in ourselves, and which makes all our love a very generous
impulse. There is so much coarseness in male friendships, that you
understand none of these subtle distinctions."

"I was going to say, thank Heaven we don't."

"You are grateful for very little, George. I assure you there is a
great charm in these fine affinities, and remember, you men are not
necessarily always rivals. Your roads in life are so numerous and so
varied, that you need not jostle. We women have but one path, and
one goal at the end of it; and there is no small generosity in the
kindliness we extend to each other."

They talked away late into the night of the future. Once or twice the
thought flashed across Julia whether she ought not to tell of what had
passed between Lord Culduff and herself. She was not quite sure but that
George ought to hear it; but then a sense of delicacy restrained her--a
delicacy that extended to that old man who had made her the offer of his
hand, and who would not for worlds have it known that his offer had
been rejected. "No," thought she, "his secret shall be respected. As he
deemed me worthy to be his wife, he shall know that so far as regards
respect for his feelings he had not over-estimated me."

It was all essential, however, that her brother should not think of
enlisting Lord Culduff in his cause, or asking his Lordship's aid or
influence in any way; and when L'Estrange carelessly said, "Could not
our distinguished friend and guest be of use here?" she hastened to
reply, "Do not think of that, George. These men are so victimized by
appeals of this sort that they either flatly refuse their assistance, or
give some flippant promise of an aid they never think of according.
It would actually fret me if I thought we were to owe anything to such
intervention. In fact," said she, laughingly, "it's quite an honor to be
his acquaintance. It would be something very like a humiliation to have
him for a friend. And now good-night. You won't believe it, perhaps; but
it wants but a few minutes to two o'clock."

"People, I believe, never go to bed i