dozen men I know.'

'How would you draw the line between women with something and women with
nothing in them?'

'Well,' said Knight, reflecting a moment, 'I mean by nothing in them
those who don't care about anything solid. This is an instance: I knew a
man who had a young friend in whom he was much interested; in fact, they
were going to be married. She was seemingly poetical, and he offered her
a choice of two editions of the British poets, which she pretended to
want badly. He said, "Which of them would you like best for me to send?"
She said, "A pair of the prettiest earrings in Bond Street, if you don't
mind, would be nicer than either." Now I call her a girl with not much
in her but vanity; and so do you, I daresay.'

'Oh yes,' replied Elfride with an effort.

Happening to catch a glimpse of her face as she was speaking, and
noticing that her attempt at heartiness was a miserable failure, he
appeared to have misgivings.

'You, Miss Swancourt, would not, under such circumstances, have
preferred the nicknacks?'

'No, I don't think I should, indeed,' she stammered.

'I'll put it to you,' said the inflexible Knight. 'Which will you have
of these two things of about equal value--the well-chosen little library
of the best music you spoke of--bound in morocco, walnut case, lock and
key--or a pair of the very prettiest earrings in Bond Street windows?'

'Of course the music,' Elfride replied with forced earnestness.

'You are quite certain?' he said emphatically.

'Quite,' she faltered; 'if I could for certain buy the earrings
afterwards.'

Knight, somewhat blamably, keenly enjoyed sparring with the palpitating
mobile creature, whose excitable nature made any such thing a species of
cruelty.

He looked at her rather oddly, and said, 'Fie!'

'Forgive me,' she said, laughing a little, a little frightened, and
blushing very deeply.

'Ah, Miss Elfie, why didn't you say at first, as any firm woman would
have said, I am as bad as she, and shall choose the same?'

'I don't know,' said Elfride wofully, and with a distressful smile.

'I thought you were exceptionally musical?'

'So I am, I think. But the test is so severe--quite painful.'

'I don't understand.'

'Music doesn't do any real good, or rather----'

'That IS a thing to say, Miss Swancourt! Why, what----'

'You don't understand! you don't understand!'

'Why, what conceivable use is there in jimcrack jewellery?'

'No, no, no, no!' she cried