dryly.

"But I shall not do anything of the kind," she added in a different
tone; "women don't. They always try to be good, always, _always_--the
more fools they! And the more they are good, the worse things get."

"Ah! I thought there was some heterodox sentiment lurking here at high
pressure!" exclaimed the Professor.

Hadria sighed. "I have just been receiving good advice from Mrs.
Gordon," she said, flushing at the remembrance, "and I think if you knew
the sort of counsel it was, that you would understand one's feeling a
little fierce and bitter. Oh, not with her, poor woman! She meant it in
kindness. But the most cutting thing of all is, that what she said is
_true!_"

"That _is_ exactly the worst thing," said the Professor, who seemed to
have divined the nature of Mrs. Gordon's advice.

Hadria coloured. It hurt as well as astonished her, that he should guess
what had been said.

"Ah! a woman ought to be born without pride, or not at all! I wish to
heaven that our fatal sex could be utterly stamped out!"

The Professor smiled, a little sadly, at her vehemence.

"We are accused of being at the bottom of every evil under heaven," she
added, "and I think it is true. _That_ is some consolation, at any
rate!"

In spite of her immense reverence for the Professor, she seemed to have
grown reckless as to his opinion.

The next few days went strangely, and not altogether comprehensibly.
There was a silent warfare between Professor Fortescue and Hubert
Temperley.

"I have never in my life before ventured to interfere in such matters,"
the Professor said to Miss Du Prel; "but if that fellow marries Hadria,
one or both will live to rue it."

"I think it's the best thing that could happen to her," Miss Du Prel
declared.

"But they are not suited to one another," said the Professor.

"Men and women seldom are!"

"Then why----?" the Professor began.

"He is about as near as she will get," Valeria interrupted. "I will
never stand in the way of a girl's marrying a good, honest man. There is
not one chance in ten thousand that Hadria will happen to meet exactly
the right person. I have made a mistake in my life. I shall do all in my
power to urge her to avoid following in my footsteps."

It was useless for the Professor to remonstrate.

"I pity Mr. Temperley, though I am so fond of Hadria," said Miss Du
Prel. "If he shatters _her_ illusions, she will certainly shatter
_his_."

The event that they had been e