Kate. "She had seen somebody whom she loved better, and
she still loves that somebody. Who was it? She had not been introduced
into society. Were there any superior men among her teachers? She is
just the girl to fall in love with her teacher, at least in Europe,
where they are the only men one sees."

"There were some very superior men among them," said Philip. "Professor
Schirmer has a European reputation; he wears blue spectacles and a
maroon wig."

"Do not talk so," said Kate. "I tell you, Emilia is not changeable, like
you, sir. She is passionate and constant. She would have married that
man or died for him. You may think that your sage counsels restrained
her, but they did not; it was that she loved some one else. Tell me
honestly. Do you not know that there is somebody in Europe whom she
loves to distraction?"

"I do not know it," said Philip.

"Of course you do not KNOW it," returned the questioner. "Do you not
think it?"

"I have no reason to believe it."

"That has nothing to do with it," said Kate. "Things that we believe
without any reason have a great deal more weight with us. Do you not
believe it?"

"No," said Philip, point-blank.

"It is very strange," mused Kate. "Of course you do not know much about
it. She may have misled you, but I am sure that neither you nor any one
else could have cured her of a passion, especially an unreasonable one,
without putting another in its place. If you did it without that, you
are a magician, as Hope once called you. Philip, I am afraid of you."

"There we sympathize," said Phil. "I am sometimes afraid of myself, but
I discover within half an hour what a very commonplace land harmless
person I am."

Meantime Emilia found herself beside her sister, who was sketching.
After watching Hope for a time in silence, she began to question her.

"Tell me what you have been doing in all these years," she said.

"O, I have been at school," said Hope. "First I went through the High
School; then I stayed out of school a year, and studied Greek and German
with my uncle, and music with my aunt, who plays uncommonly well. Then
I persuaded them to let me go to the Normal School for two years, and
learn to be a teacher."

"A teacher!" said Emilia, with surprise. "Is it necessary that you
should be a teacher?"

"Very necessary," replied Hope. "I must have something to do, you know,
after I leave school."

"To do?" said the other. "Cannot you go to parties?"

"Not all