ers
than Miss Elisabeth Farringdon and her whims and fancies. And what
woman, worthy of the name, could extend mercy to a man who had openly
displayed so flagrant a want of taste and discernment as this? Certainly
not Elisabeth, nor any other fashioned after her pattern. She felt that
she had as much right to be angry as had the prophet, when Almighty
Wisdom saw fit to save the great city in which he was not particularly
interested, and to destroy the gourd in which he was. And so, probably,
she had.

For several days after this she kept clear of Christopher, nursing her
anger in her heart; and he was so hurt and sore from the lashing which
her tongue had given him, that he felt no inclination to come within the
radius of that tongue's bitterness again.

But one day, when Elisabeth was sitting on the floor of the Moat House
drawing-room, playing with the baby and discussing new gowns with
Felicia between times, Alan came in and remarked--

"It was wise of you to give up your excursion to Coulson's circus last
week, Elisabeth; as it has turned out it was chiefly a scare, and the
case was greatly exaggerated; but it might have made you feel
uncomfortable if you had gone. I suppose you saw the notice of the
outbreak in that morning's paper, and so gave it up at the last
moment."

Elisabeth ceased from her free translation of the baby's gurglings and
her laudable endeavours suitably to reply to the same, and gave her
whole attention to the baby's father. "I don't know what you mean. What
scare and what outbreak are you talking about?"

"Didn't you see," replied Alan, "that there was an outbreak of cholera
at Coulson's circus, and a frightful scare all through Burlingham in
consequence? Of course the newspapers greatly exaggerated the danger,
and so increased the scare; and I don't know that I blame them for that.
I am not sure that the sensational way in which the press announces
possible dangers to the community is not a safeguard for the community
at large. To be alive to a danger is nine times out of ten to avoid a
danger; and it is far better to be more frightened than hurt than to be
more hurt than frightened--certainly for communities if not for
individuals."

"But tell me about it. I never saw any account in the papers; and I'm
glad I didn't, for it would have frightened me out of my wits."

"It broke out among a troupe of acrobats who had just come straight from
the South of France, and evidently brought th