human beings? Bah! They have souls! What does it matter, if they
suffer? Suffering purifies the spirit for a better life!'

'Nonsense!'

'That is easily said. But it was on that principle that Philip burned
the Jews, and they did not think it was nonsense. The beetles don't
think it funny to be pulled to pieces, either. I don't. A large class
of us don't, and yet you women have been doing it ever since Eve made a
fool and a sinner of the only man who happened to be in the world just
then. He was her husband, which was an excuse, but that's of no
consequence to the argument.'

'Perhaps not, but the argument, as you call it, doesn't prove anything
in particular, except that you are calling me names!' Margaret laughed
again. 'After all,' she went on, 'I do the best I can to be--what shall
I say?--the contrary of disagreeable! You ask me to let you take me to
my rehearsals, and I come day after day, risking something, because you
are disguised. I don't risk much, perhaps--Mrs. Rushmore's disapproval.
But that is something, for she has been very, very good to me and I
wouldn't lose her good opinion for a great deal. And you ask me to
lunch with you, and I come--at least, I've been twice to your house,
and I've lunched once. Really, if you are not satisfied, you're hard to
please! We've hardly known each other a month.'

'During which time I've never had but one idea. Don't raise your
beautiful eyebrows as if you didn't understand!' He spoke very gently
and smiled, though she could not see that.

'You've no idea how funny that is!' laughed Margaret.

'What?'

'If you could see yourself, and hear yourself at the same time! With
those goggles, and your leather cap and all the rest, you look like the
Frog Footman in _Little Alice_--or the dragon in _Siegfried_!
It does very well as long as you are disagreeable, but when you speak
softly and throw intense expression into your voice'--she mimicked his
tone--'it's really too funny, you know! It's just as if Fafnir were to
begin singing "Una furtiva lacrima" in a voice like Caruso's! Siegfried
would go into convulsions of laughter, instead of slitting the dragon's
throat.'

'I wasn't trying to be picturesque just then,' answered Logotheti,
quite unmoved by the chaff. 'I was only expressing my idea. I've known
you about a month. The second time we met, I asked you to marry me, and
I've asked you several times since. As you can't attribute any
interested motive to my determ