" returned the girl, rising and patting her
mother's hand. "Grandfather has returned from his ride. I just heard him
come in. It is too near dinner time for a scene. There is no need of our
pretending to each other, is there? You have always put me off and put
me off, but surely you mean to bring this to an end pretty soon?"

"You could bring it to an end at once if you would!" returned Mrs.
Evringham, her voice lowered. "Dr. Ballard has nothing to wait for. I
know all about his circumstances. There never was such a providence as
father's having a friend like him ready to our hand--so suitable, so
attractive, so rich!"

"Yes," responded the girl low and equably, "it is just five weeks and
two days that you have been throwing me at that man's head."

"I have done nothing of the kind, Eloise Evringham."

"Yes you have," returned the girl without excitement, "and grandfather
sneering at us all the time under his mustache. He knows that there are
other girls and other mothers interested in Dr. Ballard more desirable
than we are. Oh! how easy it is to be more desirable than we are!"

"There isn't one girl in five hundred so pretty as you," returned Mrs.
Evringham stoutly.

"I wish my prettiness could persuade you into my way of thinking."

"What do you mean?" The glance of the older woman was keen and
suspicious.

"We would take a cheap little apartment to-morrow," said the girl
wistfully.

Mrs. Evringham gave an ejaculation of impatience. "And do all our own
work and live like pigs!" she returned petulantly.

Eloise shrugged her shoulders. "I may flatter myself, but I fancy I
should keep it rather clean."

"You wouldn't mind your hands then." Mrs. Evringham regarded the hands
worthy to be imitated by a sculptor's art, and the girl raised them
and inspected the rose-tints of their tips. "I've read something about
rubber gloves," she returned vaguely.

"You'd better read something else then. How do you suppose you would get
on without a carriage?" asked her mother with exasperation. "You have
never had so much as a taste of privation in any form. Your suggestion
is the acme of foolishness."

"I think I could do something if you would let me," rejoined the girl
as calmly as before. "I think I could teach music pretty well, and keep
house charmingly. If I had any false pride when we came out here, the
past six weeks have purified me of it. Will you let me try, mother? I'm
asking it very seriously."

"Certainly