us get what we pay for and make the others acknowledge that we have
paid."

She did not smile, nor did her father. Mr. Vanderpoel, on the contrary,
sighed. He had a dreary suspicion that Rosy, at least, had not received
what she had paid for, and he knew she had not been in the least aware
that she had paid or that she was expected to do so. Several times
during the last few years he had thought that if he had not been so hard
worked, if he had had time, he would have seriously investigated
the case of Rosy. But who is not aware that the profession of
multimillionaire does not allow of any swerving from duty or of any
interests requiring leisure?

"I wonder, Betty," he said quite deliberately, "if you know how handsome
you are?"

"Yes," answered Bettina. "I think so. And I am tall. It is the fashion
to be tall now. It was Early Victorian to be little. The Queen brought
in the 'dear little woman,' and now the type has gone out."

"They will come to look at you pretty soon," said Vanderpoel. "What
shall you say then?"

"I?" said Bettina, and her voice sounded particularly low and mellow.
"I have a little monomania, father. Some people have a monomania for one
thing and some for another. Mine is for NOT taking a bargain from the
ducal remnant counter."

CHAPTER VI

AN UNFAIR ENDOWMENT

To Bettina Vanderpoel had been given, to an extraordinary extent, the
extraordinary thing which is called beauty--which is a thing
entirely set apart from mere good looks or prettiness. This thing
is extraordinary because, if statistics were taken, the result would
probably be the discovery that not three human beings in a million
really possess it. That it should be bestowed at all--since it is so
rare--seems as unfair a thing as appears to the mere mortal mind the
bestowal of unbounded wealth, since it quite as inevitably places the
life of its owner upon an abnormal plane. There are millions of pretty
women, and billions of personable men, but the man or woman of entire
physical beauty may cross one's pathway only once in a lifetime--or not
at all. In the latter case it is natural to doubt the absolute truth of
the rumours that the thing exists. The abnormal creature seems a mere
freak of nature and may chance to be angel, criminal, total insipidity,
virago or enchanter, but let such an one enter a room or appear in the
street, and heads must turn, eyes light and follow, souls yearn or
envy, or sink under the discouragement